A casino is a building that houses gambling games. It can also have entertainment venues and restaurants. Some casinos even offer free drinks to their customers. Casinos can be found all over the world and have become a popular tourist attraction. Some of them are famous for their fountain shows and luxury accommodations. They are also known for their glitz and glamour and have been featured in countless movies and television shows.

Although the term casino is often used to refer to a large gambling establishment in Las Vegas, there are smaller casinos located all over the world. In fact, there are more than 1,000 casinos in the United States alone. Some are more luxurious than others, but they all serve the same purpose: to provide gamblers with a place to try their luck at winning big money.

Originally, casinos were mob-owned and operated. As mobsters accumulated piles of cash from their illegal drug dealing and extortion rackets, they were able to invest in the growth of gambling businesses in Reno and Las Vegas. They financed the construction and operation of many casinos, took sole or partial ownership of some of them, and even rigged some games to their advantage. However, federal crackdowns and the fear of losing a casino license at any hint of mob involvement forced casinos to distance themselves from the mafia.

Today, many casinos have elaborate surveillance systems that monitor every table and slot machine in the building. In addition, they have catwalks in the ceiling that allow surveillance personnel to look down on the floor through one-way glass. They can even adjust the cameras to focus on certain suspicious patrons.