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What Is a Casino?

A casino is a gambling establishment that offers a variety of games of chance to customers. It may include a variety of tables, slot machines, video poker, keno, and other electronic gaming devices. It is common for casinos to offer live entertainment as well.

Casino games often provide a predictable long-term advantage to the house, or “the banker,” while offering players the possibility of a short-term gain that in some cases can be large. Players possessing sufficient skills to eliminate the inherent long-term disadvantage of a game are called advantage players. Casinos use various methods to monitor and control the games, including centralized monitoring systems that keep track of betting chips minute by minute, and electronic wheels to quickly discover any statistical deviation from their expected results.

Most successful casinos generate billions of dollars in annual revenue for the companies, investors, and Native American tribes that own and operate them. These revenues are augmented by taxes, fees, and other payments that local, state, and federal governments collect. Many states have legalized casinos and regulated them to ensure fair play, protect patron privacy, and limit advertising.

Casinos also place a strong emphasis on customer service and provide perks to encourage gamblers to spend more money. For example, during the 1970s Las Vegas casinos were famous for offering free buffets and show tickets to high rollers in an effort to maximize gambling revenue. Other incentives, such as reduced-fare transportation and hotel rooms, are designed to lure gamblers into spending more time and money on casino activities.