A casino (from the Spanish, ‘gambling house’) is an establishment where people can gamble on games of chance or skill. They are often combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, concerts, and sports events.

The term is most associated with Las Vegas, Nevada, which hosts the world’s largest concentration of casinos; however, gambling is legal in many other jurisdictions as well. Most casinos offer a wide variety of games, including poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and video slots. A number of games are played exclusively with chips, while others require the use of paper tickets or electronic devices that generate random numbers.

While the games are based on luck, some are designed to appeal more to particular types of players. For example, female gamblers tend to prefer electronic games that are noisy and flashy, while males favor tables with a high turnover rate. To attract new customers, many casinos provide perks such as free food and drinks, discounted hotel rooms, and show tickets.

A casino’s profitability is dependent on its ability to generate large amounts of cash from small bettors. To accomplish this, it must ensure that its house advantage does not exceed a predetermined amount, known as the limit. This advantage is mathematically determined for each game and may be adjusted by the casino to meet its financial goals. In addition, it must prevent patrons from cheating or stealing, either in collusion with other patrons or by their own initiative.