A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Some casinos are combined with hotels, resorts or other tourist attractions and may also offer restaurants and entertainment. The word casino is derived from the Latin casin, meaning ‘gambling house’. Casinos are primarily staffed by professional gamblers who are trained to recognize and stop cheating.

A modern casino is often heavily reliant on technology to deter crime and fraud. Many are equipped with surveillance systems known as an eye in the sky. The cameras can be adjusted to focus on specific patrons or to watch the movements of a single table or change window, making it possible for security personnel to spot suspicious behavior before a problem arises.

In addition to technological measures, a modern casino employs a physical security force to patrol the floors and respond to calls for assistance or reports of suspicious activity. These are usually complemented by a specialized surveillance department that operates the casino’s closed circuit television system. These specialized departments work together and have been remarkably successful in preventing crime on the casino floor.

Most casinos are located in cities with a large population and a history of organized crime, but they can be found worldwide. In the United States, they are regulated by state law and must be licensed or incorporated. In Europe, many casinos have become world-renowned for their elegance and style. The elegant spa town of Baden-Baden, Germany, is home to the European Casino, which features a full range of casino games including poker, roulette and blackjack. Another of Europe’s most famous casinos is the Monte Carlo, a beautiful seaside resort in Monaco.

When casinos first became popular in the United States, they were funded by mobsters. Mob money gave casinos a reputation for shady dealing and illegal activities, but the mobsters were not content to simply provide the funds; they often took sole or partial ownership of the casinos, and used their muscle to influence the outcomes of games. This approach was particularly effective in Las Vegas, where the casinos were so big and glamorous that they could attract stars such as Frank Sinatra.

The most common casino games are table games, such as poker, blackjack, craps and roulette. Most casinos also feature slot machines. Some casinos specialize in far eastern games, such as sic bo and fan-tan.

Modern casinos are highly sophisticated facilities that require a high level of technical expertise and extensive staff training. Many have elaborately designed interiors to impress customers and promote the illusion of wealth. Some even have special holographic displays that project 3D images onto the ceiling and into players’ eyes, making them feel as though they are in the middle of the action. In the end, though, it is the croupiers’ skills and experience that make the most difference. If they do their jobs well, the house edge of a game will be less than two percent. That small margin earns the casino millions of bets each year, enough to pay for the extravagant hotels, fountains, giant pyramids and towers that now characterize the Strip.