A casino is a place where people can gamble by playing games of chance. Gambling has been a part of human culture for millennia, with evidence dating back as early as 2300 BC in China and later in Rome around 500 AD with the introduction of dice and playing cards. Unlike horse racing and other games where the participants compete against each other, casino games are played against the house. Most modern casinos offer a wide range of games. Some, such as roulette and blackjack, are table games with a dealer; others, such as poker and craps, are random number games.
Casinos often offer free drinks, restaurants and stage shows to attract customers. They may also provide loyalty programs to encourage frequent patronage. In some countries, the government regulates or prohibits casino gambling. In others, such as the United States, state governments and tribal organizations control casino gaming.
Most casino games have a mathematically determined house edge, which is uniformly negative from the player’s perspective. This advantage is calculated as the expected value of the wager, which includes the house’s commission on winning bets, or “house profit,” less the expected loss on losing bets. In games such as poker, the house profits from a commission on losing hands, or the rake.
A casino’s security begins on the floor, where casino employees keep an eye on the patrons and the games for any shady activity. They also watch for cheating, such as palming, marking or switching dice or cards. Higher-ups monitor casino operations more broadly, noting betting patterns that might indicate cheating.