A casino is a facility where people can gamble. There are many types of games that can be played in a casino, including slot machines, table games, video poker and more. The casino industry generates billions of dollars in profits each year, and is known for its luxurious amenities such as hotel rooms, shopping centers and elaborate fountains. While these features help attract customers, the vast majority of a casino’s profits come from gambling.

The casino’s built in advantage, or “house edge” can be quite small, but it adds up over the millions of bets placed by patrons each day. This advantage, sometimes called the vig or rake, is used to pay for everything from the dealers’ tips to the cost of maintaining the games and building the massive structures that are often featured in advertisements.

While casinos are often associated with organized crime and the mob, several businessmen have made fortunes by running them without mob interference. Real estate investors and hotel chains are increasingly interested in the potential of casino businesses, and federal crackdowns on the mob have helped keep legitimate operators away from the mob’s shadow.

Security in a casino is typically divided between a physical security force and a specialized department that operates the casino’s closed circuit television system, or “eye in the sky.” Both departments work closely together to prevent crimes from occurring, and have been successful in doing so. Despite these precautions, the casino is still an environment where cheating can occur. The way dealers shuffle and deal cards, for instance, has specific patterns that can be spotted by trained eyes.