A casino, also known as a gaming house, is an establishment where gambling activities take place. While modern casinos add many luxuries to attract gamblers, such as free drinks and stage shows, they would not exist without games of chance like poker, blackjack, roulette and craps that generate the billions in profits that they rake in each year.

The word casino comes from the Latin casino, meaning “little house.” Indeed, in the beginning of their history as European gambling houses, casinos were small clubhouses where Italians gathered for social occasions and played cards and dice. In the early twentieth century, casino gambling became more common in Europe and a variety of games was developed. These games ranged from baccarat and blackjack to poker and the game of keno.

To protect their profits, casinos enforce strict security measures. These include ensuring that players keep their cards visible at all times and not leaving the table while playing. They also use bright, sometimes gaudy floor and wall coverings to create a cheery and stimulating atmosphere. To prevent cheating, casino employees watch patrons closely to spot blatant patterns in their behavior. Casinos also employ highly trained mathematicians to analyze the results of various gambling games and determine their odds.

The goal of most casinos is to make money from high rollers, who place large bets for long periods of time. In return, they receive comps worth a significant amount of money, such as free rooms, food, show tickets and even limo service and airline tickets. Generally, high rollers are gamblers with above-average incomes.