What is a Casino?

A Casino is a gambling establishment where customers can place bets on games of chance, in some cases combined with an element of skill. Most games have a built in statistical advantage for the casino, known as the house edge, which can be small but over time amounts to substantial profits. The casinos earn additional revenue from a commission on bets made by customers on certain games, called a vig or rake.

Many casinos have a large variety of gambling activities, from traditional table games such as roulette and blackjack to video poker and slot machines. Some casinos also host regular poker games, in which patrons compete against each other. In addition, some casinos offer Far Eastern games such as sic bo (which became popular in several European and American casinos during the 1990s) and fan-tan.

Most modern casinos have two separate departments for security: a physical security force that patrols the gaming floors and responds to calls for assistance, as well as reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity, and a specialized surveillance department that operates the casino’s closed circuit television system, often referred to in the industry as “the eye in the sky”. Some casinos also employ an element of behavioral control through rules of conduct and behavior, such as requiring that players keep their hands visible at all times during card play.

Casinos are a staple of the Las Vegas Strip, where you can find almost any type of game imaginable. The Bellagio, immortalized in the movie Ocean’s 11, is an example of an upscale casino that blends elegance and sophistication with high stakes gambling.