When most people think of casino, they imagine one of the megaresorts in Las Vegas — a sprawling hotel and entertainment complex blazing with neon. While such an image does fit some casinos, there are many more that are smaller in size and focus more on gambling activities than glitz.

In the United States, most casinos are located in Nevada and are operated by private businesses. In addition to the usual casino games, many offer other types of gambling, such as horse racing gambling and poker. The gambling industry is a major source of employment in Nevada.

Unlike lotteries or Internet gambling, which are not social activities in the sense that they involve individual players competing against each other, casino gambling is a social activity in that people interact with other people in a lively and energetic atmosphere. Players shout encouragement to each other as they play and wait for results of their bets. Alcoholic drinks are readily available to players and the casino environment is designed around noise, light, and excitement.

While the games played at a casino may appear to be random in nature, the mathematics of gambling actually provide a mathematical advantage for the house. This is because casinos accept bets within a specified limit, so that no patron can win more than the casino can afford to pay. To counter this, casinos offer big bettors extravagant inducements, such as free spectacular entertainment, transportation, and luxurious living quarters.