A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. It may be a standalone building or a room in a hotel and often is combined with restaurants, hotels, cruise ships or other tourist attractions. Casinos also are known for hosting live entertainment events such as concerts and stand-up comedy. The term casino may also refer to a large building where a number of games are located, such as one in the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino.

In the United States, casinos are regulated by state law and must be licensed to offer games of chance. The terms of licenses vary from state to state, but generally include requirements such as a minimum age for gaming, the percentage of total floor space devoted to gambling machines and table games, and the percentage of revenue that must be paid out in winnings.

Licensed casinos are often required to use technology to monitor and supervise their operations. For example, chips with built-in microcircuitry are used in some casinos to track betting amounts minute by minute and alert casino managers of any abnormality; roulette wheels are electronically monitored to discover quickly any deviation from statistical normalcy. Casinos also hire mathematicians and computer programmers to analyze their games and determine the house edge, or expected profit, for each game.

In the United States, a casino may be operated by a private company or in some cases by a public company. Some states, such as New York, allow casinos only in pari-mutuel facilities (as in horse racing or jai alai) or on tribal lands.