A casino is a public room or building where gambling games (such as roulette, baccarat, blackjack, poker, and slot machines) are played. Casinos may also be integrated with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and cruise ships.
In the United States, casinos are licensed and regulated by state governments. Most states have passed laws to control the type of games offered and the amount of money wagered. Some casinos are operated by Native American tribes and are subject to additional restrictions.
The largest casino in the world is the Las Vegas Sands Corporation’s Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, with an indoor/outdoor space measuring 165,000 square feet. It contains multiple gaming areas, a contemporary art gallery, three restaurants, and a multi-purpose auditorium with a flexible stage.
Most casino games are based on chance, with some requiring a degree of skill. In games that require skill, the house has a mathematical advantage over the player, which can be expressed as an expected value or simply as the “house edge”. In games where players compete against each other rather than the house, the casino makes its profit by taking a percentage of each pot, or charging an hourly fee to each participant.
Because of the large amounts of cash handled, casinos are susceptible to theft and cheating by both patrons and employees. To combat these issues, many casinos have security measures in place such as closed circuit television, one way glass, and high-tech surveillance systems.