A casino is an establishment where people can play various games of chance for money or other prizes. These games can include poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, and slot machines. People may also bet on horse races or place bets on sports events. A casino is usually located in a resort or hotel and offers its guests luxurious amenities, such as spas, swimming pools, fine dining, and entertainment. A casino is also known as a gambling house or casin and can be found worldwide. In the United States, casinos are mostly operated by American Indian tribes or their commercial enterprises. State and local governments often regulate them.

Casinos are equipped with various technologies for supervision and control. For example, in table games such as blackjack and Spanish 21, players’ cards are monitored with electronic devices that track their card counting; betting chips have built-in microcircuitry to enable casinos to monitor the exact amounts wagered minute by minute, and to alert dealers if any discrepancies appear; and roulette wheels are electronically supervised to discover any statistical deviations from expected results.

During the 1990s, casinos dramatically increased their use of technology. Statistical data from a variety of sources suggest that the typical casino gambler is a forty-six-year-old female from an upper middle class family with above-average incomes. These characteristics are consistent with the demographics of the gaming industry in general, which is dominated by older, wealthier players. Many countries have legalized casino gambling.