A casino, also known as a gambling house, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Most casinos feature games of chance and some involve elements of skill. Some are operated by croupiers and are called table games; others are machines that dispense coins or paper tickets with a random number or symbol. In addition to a variety of gaming tables, a casino might also feature restaurants and other entertainment attractions.
While many people associate casinos with Sin City, there are numerous other locations that are famous for their gaming. Venice, Monaco, Singapore and even a few Native American reservations have casinos that are renowned for their decadence.
The casino industry is a major source of revenue for some states. It is estimated that more than half of all American adults gamble on a regular basis. A majority of these people find casino gambling acceptable, according to the 2004 State of the States study by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, Inc., and the Luntz Research Companies.
As businesses, casinos must make a profit in order to stay open. In the United States, casino profits are generated by a combination of customer spending and a percentage of that spending that is returned to customers as comps (complimentary items). As a result, most games have mathematically determined odds that give the casino an advantage over game players. This advantage is known as the house edge. In games that have an element of skill, such as poker, the casino takes a rake, or commission, on each hand played.