A casino, also called a gambling house or gaming establishment, is a building or room where people can gamble and play games of chance. It is also an establishment where food and beverages are served. Modern casinos have a variety of gaming machines and table games. Many also offer live entertainment such as concerts and stand-up comedy. The term is also used for online casinos and mobile gambling sites.
The casino industry is a major source of employment in some countries. Its employees, including dealers, wait staff and security personnel, are often local residents. This helps reduce unemployment rates in those areas. Additionally, casinos bring in tourists who spend money on hotels, dining, entertainment and shopping, boosting tourism and local economies.
Due to the large amount of money that is handled within a casino, both patrons and staff may be tempted to cheat or steal, either in collusion with each other or independently. To counter this, casinos have various security measures in place. These include a physical security force that patrols the casino and a specialized surveillance department that monitors closed circuit television, or CCTV, systems.
Besides the obvious physical security measures, casinos employ mathematicians and computer programmers to analyze the results of their games. They need to know the house edge and variance for every game they offer, so they can be aware of when a player is making an unusually high profit or loss. They also need to have the ability to quickly detect any statistical deviations that might indicate tampering or fraud.