What is a Casino?

A casino, also known as a gaming hall or a gambling house, is a facility where people can play various games of chance for real money. Casinos are most often located in or near large cities and have strict rules about behavior and dress. They are also often smoke-free and require players to be at least 21 years old. The precise origins of gambling are unknown, but it is believed that some form of it has been seen in almost every society in history.

The most popular casino games are table games, which involve competing against the house (the casino) rather than against other players, and gaming machines that dispense prizes according to a predetermined algorithm. Some casinos hire specialist mathematicians and computer programmers to develop sophisticated systems for analyzing the statistical randomness of casino games and to predict their outcomes. These analyses are used to create mathematically optimal playing strategies for casino games and to detect cheating.

Because of the large amounts of money handled within a casino, both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion with each other or independently. To prevent this, casinos employ a variety of security measures. For example, some casinos use cameras located throughout the casino to monitor patrons and staff. Additionally, many tables have built-in microcircuitry that allows the casino to oversee the exact amounts being wagered minute-by-minute, and roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly to discover any statistical deviation from their expected results.