A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos are most often built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions. In the United States, casinos are usually located in cities with large populations of tourists, such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Other casinos may be found on American Indian reservations or on riverboats.
The games played in a casino are generally of chance, although some have an element of skill. In games such as blackjack, the house always has an advantage over the players, which can be calculated mathematically and is known as the house edge. In games such as poker, where the players compete against each other, the casino earns money through a commission on bets, called the rake.
In order to protect their assets, casino operators are careful to prevent cheating and stealing by patrons. Security personnel patrol the floor and monitor CCTV cameras in order to detect suspicious activities. In addition, elaborate surveillance systems allow casino employees to watch the entire floor and monitor all windows and doors at the same time via a network of cameras called an “eye in the sky.” Casinos are also protected by their own internal control departments, which are responsible for overseeing all aspects of operations and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations.