A casino (also known as a gambling house or a gaming establishment) is an establishment that offers various forms of gambling. Casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. In the United States, casinos are licensed and regulated by state governments. Many are also owned and operated by private companies. In addition to traditional casino games, some casinos host live entertainment events.

Casinos are a major source of revenue for their owners, and they are primarily funded by gamblers. Casinos generate profits from the house edge and the variance of their games. In order to maximize their profits, casinos employ mathematicians and computer programmers to calculate these statistics. These people are known as gaming mathematicians and analysts.

The games that casinos offer vary considerably, but most feature a certain degree of skill and a high house edge. They include blackjack, poker, craps, roulette, and baccarat. Other popular casino games are video poker and slot machines. In the twenty-first century, casino owners are concentrating their investments on high-stakes gamblers, or “high rollers.” They usually gamble in special rooms that are separated from the main floor and offer a higher minimum bet than standard tables.

In order to attract these high-stakes players, casinos offer comps. They may give these gamblers free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows, or even limo service and airline tickets. In return, these high-stakes gamblers contribute a large percentage of the revenue that casinos receive from their patrons.