A casino is a place where people wager money on various games of chance. These establishments are often accompanied by dining, entertainment, and lodging, creating a comprehensive vacation experience for their guests. A number of state and international laws regulate the gambling industry. In some jurisdictions, casinos are required to use a specific uniform set of rules to ensure fairness. Others limit the types of games offered or the amount of money that can be won. Casinos may also be licensed to offer certain kinds of sports betting.

The economic basis of a modern casino is the sale of casino chips and tickets for a variety of gambling games. In addition, casino security departments regularly monitor gambling activity and can detect any statistical deviation from expected results. In recent years, many casinos have dramatically increased the use of technology. For example, betting chips have built-in microcircuitry that enables the casino to oversee them minute by minute; roulette wheels are electronically monitored to discover any anomaly; and slot machines are wired to a central computer that can quickly spot statistical deviations.

Most casinos have a fixed long-term advantage over players, known as the house edge or vigorish. However, there are some casino games that have a skill element, in which case the player can reduce or eliminate the house advantage with proper strategy. Players who can do this are referred to as advantage players. In addition, some casinos have an auxiliary profit source, such as the rake in poker or the admission fee for certain events.