A casino is a gambling establishment where patrons can wager money on games of chance. These games can be a variety of card games, dice games and even lottery-style games such as bingo. Many casinos also offer restaurants and shows. These facilities can be found in cities large and small, from the famous Las Vegas Strip to smaller places like Atlantic City and Chicago. Some states even permit casinos on American Indian reservations.

Because of the high amount of cash handled within a casino, both patrons and employees may be tempted to cheat or steal. This is why most casinos invest a great deal of money in security measures. These include physical security forces and specialized departments that operate closed circuit television systems (CCTV).

Casinos typically offer games with a built-in house edge, which ensures the casino’s profitability. This mathematical advantage can be as low as one percent in roulette and keno, or as high as 14 percent in craps. However, even this doesn’t prevent casinos from losing money on some days.

To counteract this, most casinos offer comps, or complimentary goods and services to loyal patrons. These can include free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows and reduced-fare transportation or limo service. Players can ask the casino’s information desk or a floor manager for details about how to get comped. Comps are based on the amount of time and money a player spends at the casino. The more a patron spends, the higher his or her comp rating will be.