A casino is a place where people can gamble, typically for money. Casinos add a variety of entertainment and dining options to encourage gambling, as well as luxury rooms for those who wish to spend more than a few hours at the tables. Many of the world’s casinos are found in cities that draw millions of tourists and have become renowned for their glitz, glamour and high stakes.

Casinos make their money by charging a small percentage of bets to players, called the house edge. It can be lower than two percent, but it adds up over the millions of bets placed by casino patrons each year. This money, plus proceeds from other games, allows casinos to build elaborate hotels, towers, fountains and replicas of famous monuments and landmarks.

Modern casinos employ sophisticated surveillance technology. Some use a “eye in the sky” system that enables security personnel to monitor every table, doorway and window from a room filled with banks of security cameras. Others monitor the patterns of play — how dealers deal cards, how players react and move around the tables — to detect suspicious behavior or a statistical deviation from expected results.

Problem gambling is a concern for many casino patrons, and state laws require that casinos display adequate warnings and provide contact information for organizations that offer specialized support. Most states also include statutory funding for responsible gambling programs as part of their licensing requirements. Despite this, gambling addiction is still widespread, and casinos are not immune from this problem.