Casino is a gambling establishment that offers a variety of games of chance and skill. These include table games such as blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, as well as video poker and craps. Most casinos also have a variety of slot machines. Table games are usually conducted by live dealers, while slot machines are operated by computer programs.

The casino industry generates billions of dollars each year for the companies, corporations, investors, and Native American tribes that operate it. In addition, state and local governments reap revenue in the form of taxes, fees, and other payments. Casinos may be located in large resorts or in smaller card rooms. A small number of casinos are also found on cruise ships and in truck stops. In the United States, there are more than 850 casinos, including many in urban areas.

A casino’s security staff is trained to notice patterns that indicate attempts at cheating or stealing. For example, the way a dealer shuffles and deals cards or the location of betting spots on a table tend to follow predictable patterns that make it easier for security personnel to spot something out of the ordinary. Casinos use a variety of technologies to monitor activities in their gaming floors and in their rooms. These can include cameras that monitor players and the game play in rooms with one-way glass; “chip tracking,” in which chips with built-in microcircuitry interact with electronic systems at a table to allow casinos to oversee the exact amounts wagered minute by minute; and automated, closed-circuit television monitoring of roulette wheels to discover statistical deviations from expected results.