A casino is an establishment for gambling. These places may be combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships or other tourist attractions. They may also be known as gaming houses, betting shops, or casinos (plural: casinos). The word is derived from the Italian language and means “little country house”. Casinos often feature elaborate decor to make patrons feel regal. They may also offer free spectacular entertainment, reduced-fare transportation and lavish living quarters to big bettors.

Gambling has been part of human civilization for millennia, with evidence dating back to 2300 BC in China. Dice first emerged in Rome around 500 AD, followed by card games in the 1400s. Modern-day casinos offer a wide range of casino table and machine games, including blackjack, craps, roulette, poker, video slots and more.

Casinos are designed to be appealing to the senses of sight, sound and touch, with bright lights, bells, and whistles. They are often arranged in maze-like fashions to entice patrons to gamble more and more.

Patrons and staff members may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion with each other or independently. Casinos employ a variety of security measures to prevent this, such as security cameras and specialized computer software that monitor game play. They also regularly check their casino equipment to ensure that the results are consistent with expectations, and have procedures in place for dealing with any anomalies. Some casinos even have catwalks in the ceiling above the casino floor, where surveillance personnel can look down through one-way glass at all the action.