A casino, or gaming establishment, is a place where people can gamble on games of chance. These establishments often feature a variety of gambling games like slot machines, roulette, baccarat and poker. Many casinos also offer other entertainment options such as bars, restaurants and art galleries.

The exact origin of gambling is not known, but it has spread throughout the world in various forms. Gambling is considered to be a sin by some, but the excitement and entertainment value of winning money at a casino has drawn people in large numbers for centuries.

Casinos can be dangerous places, because of the high amounts of cash handled by patrons and employees alike. Because of this, security measures are important in casinos. These include surveillance cameras and other technological tools, and rules of conduct for patrons to prevent cheating or stealing.

Some casinos have elaborate surveillance systems that can give a casino an eye-in-the-sky view of the entire facility. The systems can be monitored by security workers in a room filled with banks of monitors, and they can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons. Other types of casino surveillance use special betting chips with built-in microcircuitry that can track game play, and roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly to detect any statistical deviation from expected results. Some casinos even have catwalks in the ceiling to allow surveillance personnel to look directly down on tables and slot machines from above. This type of surveillance is most common at larger, more prestigious casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.