A casino is a place where people gamble with coins and paper tickets called chips. They are usually required to be of legal age, exchange money for the chips at a cashier’s station, and follow rules of conduct while gambling. Guests may also enjoy entertainment shows and drinks. Many casinos are located on or near rivers and lakes, with some even offering spectacular views of the river or lake.

Most casinos are heavily guarded to prevent cheating and theft by both patrons and employees. Most have security cameras throughout the building and staff members patrol in marked vehicles. Security personnel can monitor patrons from a room filled with banks of security monitors, and can adjust cameras to focus on suspicious behavior. Various other measures are used to control gambling habits and the amount of money that patrons spend.

Some casinos also offer free food and drink, including alcoholic beverages, to encourage gambling. Patrons can also receive free show tickets or hotel rooms if they play enough. This is especially common in Las Vegas and other popular tourist destinations. However, studies have shown that the economic costs of addiction and other problems associated with gambling far outweigh any economic gains the casino brings to a community.

In the past, mobsters controlled a number of casinos in Nevada and elsewhere. But as real estate investors and hotel chains grew richer, they could afford to buy out the mob and run their casinos without them. Casinos are still a major source of income for organized crime figures, but federal crackdowns and the threat of losing their license at the slightest hint of mob involvement keep them away from the actual gambling operations.