A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops and cruise ships or serve as standalone tourist attractions. They usually have a wide range of games and offer the most sophisticated and state-of-the-art security features to ensure the safety of patrons and their assets. Modern casinos employ a combination of physical security forces and specialized surveillance departments to monitor and respond to reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity.

Some casino games have a skill element, where players can make decisions that affect the outcome of a game. These skills, known as advantage play, eliminate the inherent long-term disadvantage of the house edge or vigorish and allow players to realize short-term profits. In games where skill plays a role, the casino earns money through a vigorish or rake, which is typically collected by the dealer.

In the past, casinos were often based in exotic locations such as Monte Carlo or Singapore. In the 1990s, they began to be built near or combined with hotel complexes and shopping malls and became more widely available to tourists. Many casinos are also located in cities that have become internationally renowned for their gambling centers such as Las Vegas, Reno or Macau. Casinos can be small, medium or large in size and include a variety of gaming tables such as blackjack, roulette and craps. They also offer a range of slot machines, video poker and electronic table games. Many casinos feature live entertainment such as stand-up comedy, concerts or sports events.