A casino is a gambling establishment that offers table games like blackjack and craps, as well as slot machines. It may also host poker games and other types of gambling, such as bingo. Casinos are usually located in tourist destinations or near shopping centers and can be distinguished by their brightly lit entranceways and flashy decor. They can also offer live entertainment and gourmet dining.

Casinos make their money by charging patrons a percentage of their bets to use their gaming facilities. This is known as the vig or rake. This advantage, which is relatively small—less than two percent for most games—generates billions of dollars in profits for casinos each year. This money is used to finance such elaborate features as hotel rooms, restaurants and lighted fountains.

Although the term casino can refer to any place where gambling is permitted, most casinos are built specifically for that purpose and feature a wide variety of games. The games themselves may vary, but all have the same basic goal: to draw in customers and keep them betting. To this end, casinos use everything from high-tech surveillance systems to scented oils to create a manufactured blissful experience that keeps people coming back for more.

Some casinos, such as Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, take the glitz and glamour of a Hollywood movie set and apply it to a gambling establishment. The casino hosts big-name musical and comedy acts and has a dance floor where go-go dancers twirl around in skimpy outfits. Its 90 tables and 3,000 slots attract a young, party-going crowd.