A casino is a place for certain types of gambling. It is often combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, and even cruise ships. It may be named after a famous location or feature. Examples are the Mirage and Talking Stick.

In the United States, casinos are most common in Nevada, where they are legal. In the 1970s they began appearing on American Indian reservations, which are not subject to state antigambling laws. During the 1980s and ’90s, several American states amended their laws to allow for casinos on land or on riverboats.

Modern casinos are elaborate facilities with many gambling options, including slot machines, blackjack, poker, roulette, craps and keno. They can be found in massive resorts like the Rio and Las Vegas Strip, or in smaller card rooms. In addition to gambling, casinos have restaurants and lounges. Some also offer entertainment, such as a stage show or comedy act.

Something about the money involved in casino gambling seems to encourage people to cheat or steal, which is why casinos spend a lot of time and effort on security. Some have catwalks that extend over the gaming floor, allowing surveillance personnel to look directly down through one-way glass at players at tables and slots. Casinos also employ technology to monitor the games themselves. For example, in some casinos, chips with built-in microcircuitry interact with electronic systems that oversee the amount wagered minute by minute and alert the casino if the game is not progressing as expected.