A casino is a gambling establishment offering a variety of games of chance. In addition to tables and slot machines, many casinos offer stage shows, restaurants, shopping centers, and hotels. Some are open 24 hours. Others operate at different times of the day. While musical shows, lighted fountains, and hotels help attract patrons to casinos, the vast majority of the profits are made by gamblers winning and losing at games such as roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and craps.

Casinos earn billions in annual profits for the investors, corporations, and Native American tribes that own them, as well as state and local governments that collect taxes and fees from them. In the United States, there are over 3,000 legal casinos. They are often located in the cities of Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Reno, as well as on Indian reservations in several states. In addition, they are sometimes built at racetracks and on barges that travel on waterways.

Casinos are often the subject of criticism because of the high rates of gambling addiction and the damage they cause to local economies. Studies have shown that casino spending shifts expenditures away from other forms of entertainment and reduces the incomes of local residents. Additionally, the high cost of treating compulsive gamblers can offset any economic benefits a casino might bring to its community. Casino security is therefore a major priority at most facilities. Modern casino security is usually divided into a physical force and a specialized surveillance department that operates the facility’s closed circuit television system (often called an eye-in-the-sky). This system allows casino security personnel to watch every table, change window, and doorway at once and to focus on suspicious patrons.