A casino is a public place where games of chance are played and gambling is the primary activity. Casinos earn billions in profits for their owners, investors, corporations and Native American tribes every year. They may be large, elaborate resorts or small card rooms in bars or truck stops. Some are located on Native American reservations and are not subject to state antigambling laws. Casinos are also found on cruise ships and in some states where gambling is legal.
Casinos offer many things to attract and keep patrons, including free food and drinks, stage shows and dramatic scenery. But they would not exist without the popularity of certain games of chance, such as blackjack, poker, craps and slot machines.
The main reason casinos make so much money is that every game they offer has a built-in advantage for the house. That advantage is usually less than two percent, but over millions of bets it adds up to a huge gross profit. That profit, plus a rake for video poker and other slot games, is what allows casinos to build pyramids, towers and replicas of famous landmarks, as well as provide high-end hotels, restaurants, nongambling game rooms and pools.
Security is a major concern in any casino. There are guards on the floor, and each table has a pit boss or manager who watches over it. Dealers are heavily focused on their own games, so they can spot blatant cheating like palming or marking cards and dice. The casino uses chips rather than real cash, which makes it more difficult to cheat, and they have specific routines for how each game is played that security can spot if someone deviates from the norm.