A casino is a special establishment where patrons may play a variety of gambling games and have the opportunity to win money. Although casinos often add lavish entertainment and themed attractions such as stage shows, shopping centers and lavish hotels to draw in guests, the vast majority of their profits come from games of chance. Slot machines, black jack, roulette, craps and keno provide the billions of dollars in profits raked in by casinos every year.

While the precise origin of gambling is unclear, it can be seen in virtually all societies throughout history. Whether it is dice, card games or any other form of gambling, the basic concept remains the same: gamblers wager something of value against an outcome determined primarily by chance, but with some degree of skill. The casino then takes a cut of the action or a percentage of the money that is bet, depending on the game.

Because of the huge amounts of cash that change hands within a casino, both patrons and employees may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently. To prevent this, most casinos employ elaborate surveillance systems with cameras that monitor all areas of the casino, or at least the areas most frequented by players. These “eyes in the sky” are usually mounted on the ceiling and can be adjusted by security personnel to focus on certain suspicious patrons. In addition, casinos regularly give complimentary items or “comps” to big spenders as a way of saying thank you for their business.