A casino is a facility offering various types of gambling games. Most casinos offer slot machines, a selection of table games like blackjack and poker, and video poker. Some casinos also feature live entertainment and restaurants. Some are located in luxury resorts and hotels, while others are standalone buildings. In the United States, the largest concentration of casinos is in Las Vegas. Other significant centers are Atlantic City, New Jersey and Chicago, Illinois.

Most casino games give the house a mathematically determined advantage over the players, known as the house edge. The exact percentage of the house edge varies from game to game, depending on the rules and even the type of card deck used. Some casino games have a skill element, which means that the player can reduce or eliminate the house edge through careful play. Players who can do this are known as advantage players.

Modern casinos have a dedicated security department that patrols the premises and responds to calls for assistance and suspicious or definite criminal activity. The security staff often works closely with the specialized surveillance department, which operates the casino’s closed circuit television system.

Casinos can be found worldwide and in many different sizes and styles. Some have glass floors that allow the security personnel to look down on the patrons, while other casinos use catwalks in the ceiling to view tables and slot machines from above. A casino’s security staff also may have a role in enforcing the rules of gambling, such as requiring players to keep their hands visible at all times when playing cards.