A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. It is sometimes also called a gaming house or a gambling den. Casinos are generally combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and cruise ships. They often have multiple gaming floors and can be extremely large. In the United States, casinos are licensed and regulated by state governments. Casinos generate billions of dollars in revenue each year for the companies, investors, and Native American tribes that own and operate them. They are also a significant source of employment.
Gambling is usually done by betting on events that involve a degree of chance or skill. Many games have mathematically determined odds that give the house an advantage over players, known as the house edge. In fixed-odds games like blackjack and video poker, the casino makes a profit by taking a percentage of money wagered or charging an hourly fee to play. Some casinos offer keno, bingo, and sports/racing wagering.
To increase revenue, casinos strive to keep gamblers in their facilities as long as possible by providing stimulating atmospheres and offering them various perks and incentives. These can include free spectacular entertainment, discounted or complimentary hotel rooms and transportation, food and drinks (especially alcohol), and other gifts. Casinos also employ people to manage these operations and enforce regulations that minimize the risk of cheating, stealing, or collusion. In some cases, casinos use sophisticated technology to monitor and supervise the games themselves. For example, in “chip tracking,” betting chips have built-in microcircuitry that interacts with electronic systems to allow casinos to oversee the exact amounts of money wagered minute by minute; and roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly to discover any statistical deviation from their expected results.