A casino is a gambling establishment that offers chances to win money through games of chance or skill. Casinos may also offer other forms of entertainment, such as live performances and sports events. They may be found in a wide variety of locations around the world.

A modern casino has many different types of gambling machines and table games. The United States leads the world in casinos, with a total of 2,147 licensed casinos across 920 cities. Other countries with significant numbers of casinos include Romania, the Czech Republic, and Spain.

Some casino games have a certain amount of skill, and players who possess sufficient skills can eliminate the inherent long-term disadvantage of the game (known as the house edge or vigorish) by using basic strategy. The term for this type of player is advantage player.

Often, casino visitors are attracted by the glamour of the gaming rooms and the entertainment provided. In Las Vegas, for example, the Caesars Palace is known for its celebrity residencies that have included performances by Frank Sinatra, Cher, Elton John, and other big names.

Because of the large amounts of money handled within a casino, both patrons and employees may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently. For this reason, most casinos have a security department that employs physical security forces to patrol the premises and respond to calls for assistance or reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity. In addition, most casinos have a specialized surveillance department that operates the casino’s closed circuit television system.