A casino is a building where people gamble by playing games of chance. It includes table games, such as blackjack and craps, conducted by live croupiers; machine-based games, such as slot machines, video poker and roulette; and sports wagering, including horse racing and football. Some casinos also feature non-gambling entertainment, such as restaurants and bars. Successful casinos take in billions of dollars each year for the owners, investors and Native American tribes that run them.

Gambling has been around for thousands of years. Its exact origin is unknown, but it was probably a popular pastime in ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, Egypt, France and Elizabethan England. Today, it is still a favorite for millions of people all over the world.

Almost every game offered in a casino gives the house a mathematical edge over the players, which is called the “house edge.” This advantage can be very small, but it adds up over time, so casinos make large profits. Casinos often earn additional revenue from the sale of drinks and cigarettes while patrons are gambling, and from a charge for hotel rooms and meals.

Despite these advantages, casinos must also worry about cheating and other crimes. This is why they spend a lot of money and effort on security. The high-tech eye-in-the-sky systems that casinos now use include cameras mounted in the ceiling and in windows and doors. These can be watched from a separate room filled with banks of security monitors, and the cameras can be adjusted to focus on specific suspicious patrons.