A casino is a gambling establishment that offers a variety of games. Whether they are on the Las Vegas strip or in small card rooms, casinos generate billions of dollars each year for their owners, investors, and shareholders. They also provide jobs and tax revenue to local communities. However, studies suggest that the costs of addiction and other problems associated with gambling outweigh any economic benefits.

Most modern casinos offer a wide variety of games, including blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker. Some feature live dealers in real time, which increases the feeling of being at a land-based casino while offering players the convenience of online play. In addition, some casinos specialize in developing games to attract specific markets. In Europe, for example, some casinos specialize in table games such as two-up and sic bo that appeal to casual players. In America, meanwhile, some casinos cater to big bettors by offering low house edges on games such as craps and roulette.

Because casinos handle large amounts of money, both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal. To prevent this, most casinos employ security measures. These include cameras that monitor the entire casino floor and high-tech eye-in-the-sky surveillance systems that can zoom in on suspicious activities, such as palming, marking or switching cards or dice. In addition, dealers and pit bosses keep an eye out for suspicious betting patterns. Lastly, security personnel track the behavior of individual patrons to make sure they are not following other people from table to table or taking unauthorized items from the casino.