Casino (plural: casinos) is a gambling establishment that allows patrons to gamble in games of chance and sometimes skill. These facilities can be massive hotel and entertainment complexes like those in Las Vegas, or small card rooms. Casino-type game machines can also be found at racetracks as well as in bars, restaurants and other small businesses. Successful casinos generate billions of dollars in revenue each year for the companies, investors, and Native American tribes that operate them.
When most people think of a casino, they picture one of the megaresorts in Las Vegas blazing with neon and filled with games of chance and skill. However, casinos are a major source of income in many states and can be found in cities as large as Chicago and as small as a single room. In addition to a wide range of table games, most casinos offer a variety of slot machines and video poker machines.
Most modern casinos employ a mix of security personnel including physical security officers who patrol the floor and respond to calls for assistance or reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity, and specialized surveillance departments that monitor the gambling activities on the floor via closed circuit television. The routines of casino games create recognizable patterns that make it easy for surveillance staff to detect cheating and other violations.
Because every casino game has a built in statistical advantage for the house, it is rare for any individual patron to win more than they lose over time. This mathematical expectancy, known as the house edge, enables casinos to earn substantial profits and pay out winning bettors less than they take in bets.