A casino is a place where people can gamble and play games of chance. Its most common forms are table games like poker, blackjack and roulette; and slot machines and video poker. It is estimated that casinos earn billions of dollars in profits each year from patrons who try their luck with these and other games.

Modern casinos are often like indoor amusement parks, with elaborate themes, shopping centers, musical shows and restaurants. But the vast majority of their entertainment (and profits) still comes from gambling. It is the games of chance that provide the thrills, excitement and glamour that draw in the millions of people who visit them each year.

In fact, most casinos would not exist without these games. Every casino game has a built in advantage for the casino, which can be as low as a couple of percent, but it is enough to allow the casinos to operate with virtually assured gross profit. This allows them to spend large sums on extravagant entertainment, lavish living quarters for their top customers and other inducements.

Most casinos also spend a lot on security. Their employees keep a close eye on the patrons and their actions, trying to spot anything that doesn’t look right — from blatant cheating to more subtle habits like marking cards or shifting bets. In addition, they use sophisticated technology to supervise the games themselves. For example, some table games have betting chips with built-in microcircuitry to allow them to be scanned minute-by-minute and to detect any anomalies; and roulette wheels are electronically monitored for statistical deviations from their expected results.