A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. The term is derived from the Latin cazino, meaning “house of chance.” Modern casinos are designed around noise, light, and excitement. They are often built near hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. Casinos are also renowned for providing perks to attract gamblers. These are known as comps, and can include free hotel rooms, meals, show tickets, and even cash back.
Most casino games are played against the house. The advantage varies from game to game, but is usually no more than 1 percent. Some games, like baccarat and chemin de fer, are more social in nature and are played against other players rather than the house. Others, such as blackjack and keno, are table games that involve skill.
Casinos make most of their money from high rollers, who place large bets and play regularly. These people are often given special rooms away from the main floor, where the stakes can be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Casinos give these gamblers free rooms and other perks, such as expensive meals, to encourage them to spend more money than average.
Casinos have a variety of security measures to protect their guests and property. They have a physical security force and a specialized department that operates the casino’s closed circuit television system, commonly called the eye in the sky. Generally, these departments work closely together to prevent crime in the casino.