A casino, also known as a gambling house, is an establishment that houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. These are primarily games of chance, but skill-based games such as poker and baccarat may also be present. The casino may also offer other entertainment such as live performances, shows, and events. Casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions.
In the United States, the term casino usually refers to a large hotel and entertainment complex featuring a variety of games of chance and other popular forms of entertainment. The modern casino is much like an indoor amusement park for adults, complete with lighted fountains, musical shows, shopping centers, and elaborate hotels. The bulk of the money a casino makes, however, is from gambling. Blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat, and video poker provide the billions of dollars in profits that casinos rake in every year.
Casinos are equipped with surveillance systems that allow security personnel to monitor the casino floor from a control room manned by trained guards. Cameras can focus on specific tables or windows and are usually monitored by a team of security workers who are trained to recognize suspicious patrons by their body language, the way they hold their cards or move on the game table, and other telltale signs. The game mechanics of most casino games follow predictable patterns, so if a gambler deviates from the norm it is easy for security personnel to detect and correct.