Casino, also known as a gambling house or gaming hall, is an establishment for gambling. In some countries, casinos are licensed and regulated by government agencies. Customers gamble by playing games of chance, or skill, for money or other prizes. Casinos may also offer dining, entertainment and other recreational activities.

In modern casinos, patrons can play a wide variety of games including poker, baccarat, blackjack, craps, roulette and video poker. Most of these games have mathematically determined odds that ensure the house a long-term advantage, sometimes called the house edge. However, in games where there is an element of skill, players can eliminate this advantage by using certain strategies. Players who do so are referred to as advantage players.

Some casinos, such as the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, are designed to make their guests spend more than they intend to. For example, the music played in the casino is chosen to influence how much people bet. Studies have shown that people who hear slow music tend to place fewer bets, while those who listen to fast-tempo music bet more often.

Because of the large amounts of money handled within a casino, both patrons and employees may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion or independently. For this reason, casinos use a variety of security measures. In addition to a security force, most casinos have surveillance cameras throughout the building. These cameras are monitored constantly to detect any abnormal activity.