A casino is a gambling establishment, typically a large room or series of rooms where people can gamble on various games of chance. These games include slot machines, table games like blackjack, roulette and craps, and card games such as poker. A casino also offers live entertainment, usually including music and comedy shows.
Modern casinos are highly sophisticated and use a variety of security measures to prevent cheating or theft by patrons or employees. These measures include a physical security force and specialized surveillance departments. In addition, most casinos have computer systems that monitor all game activity and identify suspicious or definite criminal activity. This information is analyzed by mathematicians and programmers, who make recommendations on how to improve security.
In the 1990s, many casinos greatly increased their reliance on technology to supervise gaming activities. Examples of this technology are “chip tracking,” in which chips with built-in microcircuitry enable the casino to instantly see how much is being wagered on each game minute by minute, and roulette wheels that are electronically monitored for statistical deviations from expected results. Many casinos also have automated and enclosed versions of classic games such as dice and roulette, which are played without a dealer and involve random numbers.
Some casinos are very large, even rivaling the size of some small towns. In addition to the usual games, they often feature exotic destinations and top-billed entertainment shows by big-name stars. This has made them popular with celebrities, whose presence can boost a casino’s revenue and reputation.