A casino is a facility where people can gamble on games of chance or skill. Most games have mathematically determined odds that ensure that the house will make a profit, or at least not lose money, over the long term. The house edge is the casino’s advantage over the player, and is typically expressed as a percentage of the total amount wagered. In games with an element of skill, such as blackjack and poker, the house edge is more complicated, as it depends on the rules of play, the number of decks used, and the cards dealt. The house also takes a commission on certain games, such as poker, known as the rake.

Because large amounts of money are handled within casinos, both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently. To reduce the risk, casinos employ a variety of security measures. These include cameras, manned security patrols, and electronic monitoring of tables and wheels (e.g., ‘chip tracking’). Computers are also used to calculate the results of casino games, and gaming mathematicians and computer programmers are responsible for this work.

Most casino gambling is done on the Las Vegas Strip, though some are located in other cities around the world. The largest casino in the United States is Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Connecticut, which has 4.7 million square feet of space. Several other American casinos are built on Indian reservations and are not subject to state antigambling laws.