A casino is an establishment for gambling. These facilities offer a wide range of games, often combined with hotels, restaurants and retail shopping. They may also host entertainment events, such as stand-up comedy and concerts. In some countries, casinos are licensed and regulated by government agencies. The word casino is derived from the Latin cazino, meaning “gambling house.”

Today’s mega-casinos are palatial buildings with multiple themed gaming areas. They offer high-stakes poker rooms, a variety of table games, and hundreds of slot machines. In addition, they have gourmet restaurants and luxury hotel accommodations. They may also feature entertainment shows such as high-flying circus acts and top music performers.

In the United States, most of the world’s largest casinos are in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Atlantic City, New Jersey. However, many other cities have casinos. The Bellagio, for example, is one of the world’s most famous casinos, and has featured in several Hollywood movies, including Ocean’s 11.

Most casino games provide a predictable long-term advantage to the house or “banker”, but some have a skill element and allow players to eliminate this edge through careful play. Those who have enough skills to win consistently are known as advantage players. Casinos use technology to enforce security measures, such as video cameras and the use of chips with built-in microcircuitry that interact with casino systems, so casinos can oversee exactly how much money is wagered minute by minute and quickly discover any statistical deviations.