A casino (or gaming house) is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Many casinos are combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. Some are known for their architecture or ambience, while others are famous for hosting live entertainment events. The term casino is also used to describe an entire city or region.

Gambling has been part of human culture for millennia, with the earliest evidence coming from 2300 BC China. Dice and playing cards rose to prominence in the 1400s, followed by roulette in 1638 and craps in 1720. Today, the most popular casino games are blackjack, poker and slots.

From Las Vegas to Monaco and Singapore, the world’s top casinos pair high stakes with high luxury. With opulent suites, spas and fine dining, these venues offer the ultimate in thrills and glamour.

Casinos must always balance their interest in making money with the need to prevent cheating and theft by patrons and staff. Security measures include CCTV cameras, security guards and doormen. Casinos must also ensure that all employees are properly trained to deal with customer complaints.

While casinos have no control over the outcome of individual bets, they can impose a minimum amount that must be wagered before a player is allowed to withdraw any money from their account. Casinos often calculate the expected value of their games by using a mathematical formula, called the house edge and variance. This calculation is made by professional mathematicians and computer programmers in the gambling industry who are called gaming analysts.