What Is a Casino?

A casino is a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. It is also a social gathering place, and has been a meeting point for spies, dispossessed royals, and wartime adventurers (notably, the fictional Casino Royal in Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels).

The term casino may also refer to:

Online casinos are regulated by governmental bodies that protect players from scammers and other unsavory characters. Look for security measures like SSL encryption, two-factor authentication (2FA), and extensive background checks. In addition, games must be audited for fairness by independent entities like eCOGRA and iTech Labs.

Licensed casinos must also respect and protect user data. You can find details of a site’s data protection policy in its privacy policy. This means that if you’re not satisfied with the way your personal information is handled, you can contact the regulatory body to resolve the issue.

It’s important to choose a casino with a customer support team that you can reach. This includes a telephone helpline and live chat facilities. If you’re an older player, you might prefer a phone option, while younger players might get on better with live chat. You should also consider how late the support team is open. Ideally, the site should have 24/7 support.