A casino is a place where people can gamble and play games of chance. Some casinos also offer other forms of entertainment, such as stage shows and dramatic scenery. Modern casinos are very elaborate, and have a wide variety of games. Many are geared toward specific demographic groups, with special emphasis on the needs of high rollers.
Some casinos specialize in particular games, such as baccarat or poker, or offer special amenities, such as restaurants and free drinks, to attract players. They may also offer free rooms and other perks to frequent players, such as limo service and airline tickets. In addition, some casinos have gaming mathematicians and computer programmers, who calculate house edges and variance for individual games, and help managers make informed decisions about game selection and floor layout.
Most casinos are regulated by government authorities to ensure fair play and compliance with gambling laws. They employ a mix of physical and specialized security departments to prevent crime. Casino security personnel patrol the floors, watching for suspicious or definite criminal activity. They use video cameras to supervise table games and detect cheating by patrons. They also monitor betting patterns to detect collusion between players and identify irregularities in the results of certain games, such as a biased roulette wheel.
Most casinos offer traditional gambling games such as roulette, blackjack, and craps. Some offer other games, such as sic bo (which spread to several European and American casinos during the 1990s), fan-tan, and pai gow. Those in Asia offer traditional Far Eastern games, including fan-tan and two-up.