A casino is a gambling establishment that offers various types of gambling. Casinos are most often located near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships or other tourist attractions. In addition to gambling, casinos may offer concerts, shows or other live entertainment. Some casinos are also known as race tracks or sports pools. The word “casino” derives from the Italian noun cazino, meaning little castle.

Most casinos feature a variety of games that are played with cash or other casino-specific chips. Most of these games have a built-in long-term advantage for the house, or vigorish, which gives the casino an edge over players over time. However, some of these games do have a skill element, which allows players to reduce the house edge or even eliminate it altogether. These players are called advantage players.

Many casinos have security measures in place due to the large amounts of money handled within. These measures range from cameras to trained personnel. Despite these precautions, some patrons and employees have been known to cheat and steal, either in collusion with each other or independently.

Casinos vary in size, layout, and type of games offered. Some are more extravagantly outfitted than others. For example, the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden, Germany, was a playground for European royalty and aristocracy 150 years ago and features a magnificent casino with baroque flourishes and red-and-gold poker rooms. In the United States, Las Vegas is perhaps the most famous casino destination, with Atlantic City second and Chicago third in revenue.