A casino is a gambling establishment where people can gamble by playing games of chance or skill. Some casinos also offer dining and entertainment. Casinos often have security measures in place to prevent cheating or stealing by patrons, either in collusion with each other or independently. These measures include video cameras located throughout the facility and security personnel who monitor game play. Casinos also enforce security through rules of conduct and behavior; for example, players at card games are required to keep their cards visible at all times.

While many casinos provide lavish luxuries to attract and retain customers, the foundation of a casino is still the games of chance. Casinos earn money by taking a small percentage of bets, or “vig,” which is generally less than two percent, and by charging fees for services such as arranging hotel rooms and show tickets. They may also charge a “rake” in poker and other games where players compete against each other, to cover the cost of running the tables.

Casinos may also employ a variety of marketing and promotion strategies to increase their profits. For example, they may give away items or comps to regular players. In the 1970s Las Vegas casinos were famous for giving out free hotel rooms, buffet meals, and tickets to shows to big spenders, who were referred to as “whales.” More recently, they have developed a system of player rewards cards that allow them to track the spending habits of individual patrons and comp them accordingly.