A casino, also known as a gambling house or gaming establishment, is a place where people can gamble on various games of chance. Casinos usually offer a variety of games, such as roulette, blackjack, craps, baccarat, and poker. In addition to these games, some casinos also feature restaurants and live entertainment. Some casinos are owned by governments, while others are private enterprises. Some casinos are combined with hotels and other tourist attractions, such as theme parks and shopping malls.

In the United States, casinos were first established in Atlantic City and in 1978, but they soon spread throughout the country. They were also developed on American Indian reservations, which are not subject to state antigambling laws. In the early 1980s, a number of states amended their laws to allow casinos, including riverboat casinos and those built on Native American land.

Most casinos use security measures to prevent cheating and theft. The most basic measure is to have surveillance cameras placed in various areas. In addition, most casinos have a number of employees on the floor to monitor things, including dealers watching other patrons to make sure no one is palming or marking cards, and pit bosses monitoring table games to ensure that rules are being followed.

Some gamblers believe that certain days of the week are better for casino gambling. For example, some people think that casino payouts are higher on Fridays after 6 p.m. because that is when casinos start filling up with people. Others believe that slots increase their payouts on weekends because they want to encourage more spending.