A casino is a place where people can play various games of chance for money. The modern casino adds a lot of extras, such as restaurants, free drinks and stage shows, but the basic idea is still the same. The word “casino” is derived from the Latin casus, meaning “house.”

Gambling has been part of human culture for millennia, with dice appearing around 2300 BC and cards about 500 AD. Many of the games played in casinos involve an element of chance and a little skill, but most have built-in statistical advantages for the house. These advantage, known as the house edge or vigorish, earns the casino billions of dollars in profit every year.

Something about gambling (maybe the presence of large sums of money) encourages both patrons and staff to cheat and steal, either in collusion or independently. As a result, casinos spend a lot of time and money on security. Cameras are placed throughout the casino, and employees constantly watch patrons to spot patterns of behavior that could signal a cheating attempt.

Casinos also make much of their profits from high rollers, who gamble with tens of thousands of dollars or more at a time. These players are often given special treatment, including luxury suites and personal attention from the staff. They may be required to wear special wristwatches or earpieces that track their movements to prevent them from switching tables, removing chips or taking out the chip tray without authorization.