A Casino is a gambling establishment where patrons can gamble and bet on different games of chance with cash or other items of value. Some casinos are large, multi-story buildings with impressive decor and a huge selection of casino games. Others are smaller and more intimate. Some have restaurants, hotels, non-gambling entertainment venues, swimming pools and spas. Most casinos have security measures to prevent cheating and theft by both patrons and employees.

Casinos make money by taking a small percentage of every bet placed, sometimes as little as two percent. This edge, over millions of bets, earns the casino enough to build impressive fountains, pyramids and replicas of famous landmarks. It also allows them to offer free hotel rooms, meals and tickets to shows for “good” players.

Modern casinos use sophisticated technology to supervise their games. In some cases the machines and tables are wired to a central computer system that can monitor the exact amounts wagered minute by minute, and quickly discover any statistical deviation from expected results. Some of this work is done by gaming mathematicians, who are usually employed by casinos or outside companies that contract with them to do this kind of analysis.

Other security measures include cameras and electronic systems that keep track of all the players. The chips used to bet have built-in microcircuitry that allows the casino to keep track of the precise amount bet on each table, and the Roulette wheels are electronically monitored to quickly detect any anomalies in their spinning patterns.