A casino is a place where people can gamble and enjoy other entertainment. It is usually combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops and even cruise ships. Many countries have casinos, including the United States. Some of these are built as standalone structures, while others are built into hotels or resorts. The most famous are Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

Casinos have security measures to prevent cheating and theft by patrons or staff. These measures may include security cameras and other technology. In addition, the games themselves are usually monitored by one or more employees. For example, roulette wheels are electronically monitored to discover any anomaly. In table games, the players’ chips have built-in microcircuitry that communicates with the casino’s betting system to reveal any suspicious activity.

Casinos also earn money by charging commissions on some games. These commissions are known as rakes. The rakes are usually percentages of the total amount wagered on a game, or in some cases they are fixed. Often, casinos use these commissions to offset the costs of running the gambling establishment. The rake is especially important in poker, where the house edge is very small but the house still makes money through a rake.