A casino is a place where people can gamble and play various games of chance. It also features other enjoyable activities, such as stage shows, restaurants, and bars. The word casino comes from Italy and means “small villa,” but it has come to refer to much more lavish establishments. The largest casinos are enormous, and feature a mindblowing number of gambling games.

Most casinos are built with a particular business model in mind. While most of the games offered have some element of skill, they all have built-in advantages that ensure that the house will win in the long run. These advantages may be small, but they add up over the millions of bets placed by patrons. This profit is called the house edge and it is what makes casinos profitable.

Traditionally, casinos were financed by mob money, but as organized crime became more and more entangled in drug trafficking, extortion and other illegal rackets, legitimate businessmen began to invest in the industry. They were especially interested in the lucrative tourist market, and they opened casinos to attract visitors from all over the world. These casinos are often located in places where gambling is legal, such as Nevada and Atlantic City. They are also found on American Indian reservations, which are exempt from state antigambling laws.

Modern casinos are usually protected by a combination of physical security and a specialized surveillance department. The latter operates the casino’s closed circuit television system, which is often known as the eye in the sky. The physical security forces patrol the casino and respond to calls for assistance and reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity. They also work closely with the surveillance team, who can observe players’ reactions and actions from a vantage point above the casino floor.