A casino is a facility for gambling. In many cases, casinos are combined with hotels, restaurants, resorts and shopping facilities. They can also be found on cruise ships and in some cities around the world. In the United States, the largest concentration of casinos is in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

Casinos are often large buildings that have games of chance and some with elements of skill, such as baccarat, roulette, blackjack and video poker. They make money by taking a percentage of every bet placed, a commission called the vig or rake, that can vary depending on the game and how it is played. This advantage can be as low as two percent, but it adds up over time from the billions of dollars that are placed in the casino each year.

Some casinos are known for the quality of their games and services, such as the elegant Baden-Baden in Germany’s Black Forest, where Marlene Dietrich once declared it the most beautiful casino in the world. In the United States, the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, has over a thousand slots and tables for games like baccarat and poker.

While gamblers have been tempted to cheat and steal throughout history, most casinos use security measures to prevent this. Some casinos have cameras located throughout the floor, and others have catwalks in the ceiling that allow surveillance personnel to look directly down on the tables and slot machines through one way glass. The employees on the floor watch out for obvious cheating such as marking cards or palming dice, and they are trained to recognize betting patterns that may indicate collusion between players.