A Casino, also known as a gambling house or a gaming hall, is a place where people can gamble. Gambling is primarily based on chance, with a small element of skill in some games. In most jurisdictions, casinos are licensed by the government to conduct a variety of gambling activities. They may be standalone facilities or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops and other entertainment venues.

In a typical American casino, the house takes a percentage of the total bets made by customers. This percentage is called the house edge. The casino also earns money from patrons in card games that require skill, by charging an hourly rate for playing tables. The house also earns a commission on machines that do not require player interaction, such as video poker.

Casinos employ a wide range of security measures to protect their assets and gamblers. These include cameras, secure entrances and exits, and restrictions on the number of people allowed inside at any given time. In some countries, casinos are required to have catwalks in their ceilings that allow surveillance staff to look down directly on the players without being seen.

When surveyed about their favorite casino gambling games, most people chose slot machines. Cards, such as blackjack and poker, followed closely. Other games, such as baccarat (in its standard version known as chemin de fer in France), pai gow poker, and trente et quarante in French casinos, are rarely played in American casinos, although some do offer them.