A casino is a place where people can gamble, enjoy various drinks and meals and win money. Modern casinos are like indoor amusement parks for adults, with the vast majority of entertainment and profits for the owners coming from gambling. The games that people play are largely determined by chance, although some skill is involved in some games. The casino industry is regulated in most countries, but there are still some unregulated territories.

In the past, mob-controlled casino operations were common, but with real estate investors and hotel chains entering the business and having a lot more money than the mobsters, their control of casinos began to fade. Federal crackdowns and the threat of losing a casino license at even the slightest hint of mob involvement also helped in this process. Today, most major casinos are owned by large corporations.

Casinos have a variety of security measures in place to prevent theft and cheating by both patrons and staff. Almost all have cameras throughout the facility and security personnel constantly patrol the premises. For table games, pit bosses and managers watch over players, looking for betting patterns that might signal cheating. Most casinos have rules requiring players to keep their cards visible at all times. These rules, along with a general distrust of players, help to deter cheating and theft.