What is a Casino?

A casino, or gambling house, is a place where people gamble on games of chance. While lavish casinos may offer stage shows, world-class restaurants and dramatic scenery, the vast majority of their profits—and indeed their existence—is based on the fact that people pay to play games of chance like slot machines, blackjack, roulette, poker and craps.

Casinos are built with a variety of tricks to keep customers gambling. Free food and drink help to keep gamblers on the premises longer, and also to get them intoxicated which reduces their ability to make sound decisions. Chips instead of cash are used, which reduces the temptation to take money out of the casino, and allow the house to track wagers more accurately.

The use of technology has dramatically increased in the past decade in casinos, both for security purposes and to monitor the games themselves. For example, “chip tracking” uses chips with built-in microcircuitry that enables the casino to oversee exactly how much is wagered minute by minute; and the results of roulette wheels are electronically monitored so that any statistical deviation from expected outcomes can be quickly discovered.

Many states have laws regulating the operations of casinos. However, in some cases, the law is not enforced, and the casinos are run by organized crime groups. In addition, studies suggest that a large percentage of casino patrons are addicted to gambling and that the social costs (including those of treating compulsive gamblers) offset any economic benefits.