A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. In some countries, casinos are operated by government-licensed or regulated private businesses. Others are owned and operated by private individuals or families. Often, casinos are combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops and other tourist attractions. They may also be operated as a separate business entirely. The word “casino” is derived from the Latin cardo, meaning “box”. Casinos are also known as gaming houses or gambling houses.

Many people are drawn to casinos because of the glitz and glamour they offer. This is especially true for visitors from countries where gambling is legal, such as the United States and Europe. In the US, the Las Vegas valley is well-known for its casinos, while Atlantic City and Chicago are also major casino cities.

Because of the large amounts of money handled within a casino, there is a risk of cheating and theft by both patrons and staff. For this reason, most casinos have extensive security measures in place. These usually include cameras and other technological tools, as well as rules of conduct and behavior. In some cases, the security measures are quite sophisticated; for example, in a card game, players must keep their cards visible at all times. This prevents them from hiding them from other players or dealers. In addition, some games have additional security measures, such as a requirement that players place their chips in the center of the table. This prevents players from stacking them, which could lead to a biased result.