A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. These establishments may be integrated with hotels, restaurants, retail shops or cruise ships. They also feature entertainment such as stand-up comedy or concerts.

The concept of casinos is often associated with the American frontier and the Wild West, although in actuality the first modern casino was opened in Atlantic City in 1978. Since then, the industry has grown to include locations in many countries and is estimated to employ more than a million people worldwide.

Most casinos offer table games like blackjack, roulette and baccarat. These table games require a level of skill, and players can sometimes eliminate the house’s inherent long-term disadvantage through use of strategy. These skilled players are known as advantage players. Casinos often make a portion of their profits from these players through a vigorish or house edge, the amount the casino expects to lose on each bet.

Casinos are designed to be attractive to a wide range of customers, including local residents and tourists. Therefore, they are often located in popular tourist destinations or in areas that would benefit from increased economic activity. In order to keep patrons happy and increase the likelihood of gambling, casinos frequently provide amenities such as luxury suites, gourmet restaurants and high-quality drinks. In addition, they often conduct security through cameras and other technological methods. This is particularly important because of the large amounts of money that are handled within casinos.