A casino is an establishment for gambling. It is often combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, and/or cruise ships. Many casinos host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, concerts, and sports events. The word is derived from the Portuguese word cas, meaning “house” or “additional room.” Casinos are heavily regulated and monitor their patrons closely for signs of cheating and stealing.

Modern casinos are designed like indoor amusement parks with a wide variety of games and attractions, such as musical shows, lighted fountains, and shopping centers. While these features attract patrons, the billions in profits from games of chance, such as slot machines, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and craps, are what keep casinos in business.

Security in a casino begins on the gaming floor, where pit bosses and table managers keep a close eye on game play to prevent cheating or stealing by either players or employees. Dealers are trained to spot blatant cheating such as palming or marking cards. Security cameras are also located throughout the casino.

Casinos also focus on customer service to boost profits. They offer perks such as free drinks and food, discounted or free hotel rooms, show tickets, and other amenities to encourage gamblers to spend more money than they intend to. These incentives are called “comps.” In the 1970s Las Vegas casinos promoted their comps by offering deeply discounted travel packages and free show tickets to lure high rollers away from other casinos. These tactics worked: in the 1990s the average casino generated more than $6 billion in gross revenue from gambling alone, making it the most profitable industry in America.