What Is a Casino?

A casino (also known as a gambling house or a gaming establishment) is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Some casinos are standalone facilities, while others are built in or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops or cruise ships. The term can also refer to an entire city or region that is known for gambling, such as Las Vegas or Chicago. In some countries, casinos are also licensed to operate lottery games.

Many American casinos offer entertainment, such as shows and fine dining, to attract patrons and to provide them with distractions from their gambling activities. In addition, some casinos have sports books and race tracks for people who enjoy betting on sporting events.

Most casino games have a mathematically determined advantage for the house, which is known as the house edge. This advantage is a percentage of the total amount wagered. In a game with an element of skill, such as poker, the house edge is less. The mathematics involved in casino gambling are complex and are usually the responsibility of specialized mathematicians and computer programmers.

Some cities are better known for their casinos than others, with the most famous being Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Chicago. Increasingly, however, even smaller towns and rural areas are developing their own casinos to attract tourists and locals who enjoy gambling. This trend is especially evident in the United States, where 40 states now have some form of legalized casino gambling.