A casino is a building or room used for social amusements, specifically gambling. Most people associate casinos with megaresorts in Las Vegas or other major cities, but they can also be found in smaller towns and even on Indian reservations. The word is a portmanteau of the Latin caino (swine) and Greek kainos (table).

A typical casino offers a wide variety of games, from traditional table games such as blackjack and roulette to electronic games like poker, slot machines and video poker. Many casinos offer live entertainment and restaurants as well. Casinos are regulated by law to ensure fair play and prevent cheating or other crimes. Casino security begins on the casino floor with trained employees observing patrons and their behavior. Dealers watch each other closely for blatant cheating or other violations, and pit bosses and table managers look for betting patterns that indicate possible problems at individual tables. Video cameras throughout the casino allow surveillance workers to monitor every table, window and doorway.

The atmosphere of a casino is carefully designed to transport gamblers to another world. Elaborate decorations, lights and sound effects can create the illusion of an ancient civilization or a futuristic wonderland. Casinos are also designed to manipulate the psychology of gamblers. For example, most casinos don’t have clocks in the casino because they don’t want patrons to know how much time they are wasting. Casinos also strategically place games with a higher house edge (the advantage the casino has over players) in prominent positions while hiding those with a lower one in less visible areas.