A casino, also known as a gambling hall or a gaming house, is a place where people can gamble on games of chance. These include card games like poker and blackjack, dice games such as craps and roulette and games involving skill, such as sports betting and keno. Casinos are operated by private owners and are often located in resorts. They can have a wide variety of games and a range of prices for them.

Most casino games have a built in advantage for the house, which helps make them profitable. The advantage is called the house edge. It can be very small, but over time it adds up and earns casinos billions of dollars in profits each year. These profits are used to pay for expensive hotel and entertainment venues, lighted fountains and replicas of famous landmarks.

In the past, most casinos were located in Las Vegas and other major cities, but they have become more common in suburban areas, as well. In 2008, 24% of Americans reported having visited a casino within the previous year.

Modern casinos are highly technologically advanced and offer a large number of different games. Many are supervised by video cameras, and some use computer technology to keep track of players and their bets. Some machines, such as those that deal cards or spin roulette wheels, have a microcircuit that records the exact amount wagered minute by minute. Using this information, computers can spot any statistical deviation from expected results and warn the dealers.