What Is a Casino?

A casino is a facility where people can gamble. It has a variety of games, including slot machines, table games like blackjack and roulette, and more. Many casinos also have entertainment venues such as bars and restaurants. Most gambling is done with chips that are tracked by electronic systems and overseen by security personnel. In addition, many of the games have mathematically determined odds that give the house an advantage over players.

The large amounts of money handled in a casino make it vulnerable to theft and cheating, both by patrons and employees. For this reason, security is a major concern of casino owners. Security cameras are placed throughout the facility to monitor activities. In addition, some casinos use special technology to monitor individual machine or table games to detect any statistical deviations from expected results.

Despite these precautions, many casinos have problems with gambling addiction. According to the American Gaming Association, about 51 million people-a quarter of all adults over 21 in the United States-visited a casino in 2002.

The casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City are among the most famous in the world. They are designed to appeal to all the senses, with dazzling lights and the sound of clanging coins and bells. Many casinos offer free drinks and snacks to encourage gambling, and they employ many tricks to attract customers: for example, more than 15,000 miles (24,100 km) of neon tubing light the casinos along the Las Vegas Strip.