A casino is a gambling establishment where people can play games of chance. These include slot machines, roulette, blackjack, poker, craps, keno, and baccarat. Many casinos also feature live entertainment, luxury hotels, and restaurants. The name of this type of establishment is derived from the Italian word for “small clubhouse.” The modern casino is much like an indoor amusement park, with lighted fountains and shopping centers, but the vast majority of the profits come from the games of chance.

Casinos have become a major source of entertainment and tourism around the world. The Las Vegas Strip is a prime example, with casino hotels towering over the city skyline. Many other cities have established their own gambling meccas, including Monte Carlo in Monaco and Lisbon’s Grand Lisboa. Despite the large sums of money that casinos bring in, there are some dark sides to this form of gambling. Casinos have been linked to gambling addiction and other social problems, such as crime, unemployment, and poverty. They can also cause damage to local real estate markets.

Modern casinos have a variety of security measures in place to protect their patrons. Elaborate surveillance systems use cameras to watch every table, window, and doorway. They can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons by security workers in a separate room filled with banks of security monitors. Computerized systems track the amount of money wagered on each game minute by minute, and warn workers if any statistical deviations occur. In addition to these technologies, casino security is enforced by rules of conduct and behavior.