A casino is a facility where people can gamble and is also a major tourist attraction. Most casinos have high security because of the large amount of money handled within their walls. Both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently; casinos use security cameras to prevent this. In addition to gambling tables and slot machines, most casinos have bars and restaurants.
The precise origin of gambling is not known, but it is widely believed that civilizations throughout history have created entertainment based on games of chance. Many of the most famous casinos are in exotic locations, from the opulent Monte-Carlo to the Venetian Macao, which is built around a canal complete with gondolas.
In the United States, the largest concentration of casinos is in Las Vegas, Nevada. The next largest are Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Chicago. There are also casinos on American Indian reservations, which are exempt from state antigambling laws.
Most casinos feature a variety of table games, such as baccarat (in its popular variant, chemin de fer), blackjack, and poker. They also offer a variety of random number games, such as roulette and craps. Most of these games have a mathematical advantage for the house, which is usually less than one percent. In games such as poker where players compete against each other, the casino makes a profit by taking a percentage of the pot or charging an hourly fee to play.