A casino (or gambling house, also known as a gaming room or clubhouse) is an establishment where people can play a variety of games of chance for money. Some casinos are combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops or cruise ships. Others specialize in a particular type of game, such as blackjack or poker. In addition to the usual assortment of slot machines and table games, most casinos offer sports betting, with state-of-the-art facilities and 60 plasma televisions where you can flick a coin or two on American football, boxing, MMA and soccer.

The most popular casino games are slots, video poker, blackjack, roulette and craps. Some casinos also feature traditional Far Eastern games such as sic bo, fan-tan and pai gow.

Some casinos have security personnel to keep an eye on patrons and the games themselves. Dealers are heavily focused on their own game and can easily spot blatant cheating such as palming or marking cards; pit bosses, manager and table supervisors have a broader view of the tables, watching for betting patterns that might signal cheating. The casino industry has also invested in technology that electronically monitors game results and detects statistical deviations from expected performance.

Some of the world’s most lavish casinos are temples of temptation, decked out with opulent furnishings and overflowing bars. The elegant spa town of Baden-Baden first attracted royalty and aristocracy 150 years ago, and today it draws visitors who want to try their luck at one of the best-known casinos.