A casino, also called a gambling house or gaming room, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. It may also be combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. In some countries, casinos are licensed and regulated by governments. Many people consider casinos to be glamorous and exciting, while others view them as places of vice and exploitation.
Like any business, a casino must earn a profit in order to survive. To ensure this, casinos have a number of built-in advantages that guarantee the house will win in the long run. These are known as the house edge, house advantage, or expected value. Casinos have a variety of ways to generate revenue from players, including a rake in games such as poker, and through complimentary items (complimentary items are often called comps).
There is one thing all casino patrons must realize: they cannot win at a game by chance alone. Gambling is a form of risk-taking, and as with any other kind of risk-taking, some will succeed and some will fail. Casinos must therefore spend a significant amount of their revenues on security.
Casino security starts with the employees on the floor. Dealers keep their eyes on their own games and can quickly spot blatant cheating such as palming or marking cards. Pit bosses and table managers have a broader view of the patrons and can look for betting patterns that might signal cheating or collusion. Casinos also have cameras that cover the entire casino floor, enabling security personnel to watch everyone and everything at once.