A Casino is a gambling establishment that offers games of chance to patrons. These institutions are meant to dazzle visitors with their massive halls and aisles, unique ornamentation, and brilliant lighting. They offer everything from low-stakes table games to high-roller tables where sharks gather. Casinos can also be found online where players can access them from the comfort of their homes.

Casinos attract gamblers by offering a wide variety of games, including slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps, and video poker. Many of these games have a skill element, which means that the player can make decisions to improve his or her chances of winning. But in the end, it is primarily the casino’s house edge that determines the outcome of any game.

In addition to the games of chance, casinos make their money by offering perks to loyal customers. These are known as “comps,” and they can include free hotel rooms, food, drinks, show tickets, and even limo service and airline tickets. During the 1970s, Las Vegas casinos were famous for offering deep discounts on travel packages and buffets in order to fill the casino with as many people as possible, increasing gambling revenue.

Because casinos handle large amounts of cash, they must take precautions to protect their assets. Security personnel patrol the floor and watch over patrons, looking for blatant cheating (palming, marking or switching cards, etc) or suspicious betting patterns that might indicate a conspiracy. In addition, surveillance cameras are located throughout the casino to monitor its internal operations.