A casino, also known as a gambling hall or gaming house, is a place where people can play various games of chance. Its history goes back hundreds of years and has spread to most parts of the world. It is estimated that there are over 3,000 casinos and gaming houses around the globe. The largest casinos are often located in cities such as Las Vegas, Macau and Singapore. They offer a variety of gaming options including blackjack, roulette and slot machines as well as live entertainment, top-notch hotels and spas.

Most casino games have a predictable long-term house advantage, which is known as the house edge. This disadvantage can be eliminated or minimized through skillful play. Players who possess sufficient skills to eliminate the house advantage in a given game are known as advantage players and can make significant short-term profits.

Despite the fact that the majority of casino games have a predictable house edge, there are still some exceptions to this rule. For example, in blackjack and skill-based slot machine games, the house edge is lowered when the player uses basic strategy. In games with an element of chance, however, the casino always has a mathematically determined advantage over players.

Due to the large amount of money handled in a casino, both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal. This can be done either in collusion or independently. For this reason, most casinos employ security measures such as security cameras.