A casino is a building where people gamble and play games of chance. These buildings have a wide variety of amenities including high-end shopping, exquisite dining options, water fountain shows and luxurious accommodations. They also feature a state-of-the-art poker room with sky-high table limits that hosts World Poker Tour events. They are popular with both men and women and are often seen in Hollywood movies such as Ocean’s Eleven and 21.

In the earliest times, casinos were public halls where music and dancing were performed. In the second half of the 19th century, casinos became a collection of gaming tables. In the United States, they are regulated by state and local governments. The casino industry is a major source of employment.

Many casinos employ a variety of security measures to prevent cheating and theft by patrons or employees. Cameras, both visible and hidden, are commonly used. The casinos also have policies and rules governing how the money is handled. For example, a player may be required to keep the cards they are holding in sight at all times.

In addition to standard card games, some casinos offer traditional Far Eastern games such as sic bo (which spread from China to several European and American casinos in the 1990s), fan-tan, and pai-gow. They may also have a few American-style casino games such as roulette, which attracts small bettors and requires casinos to take a low margin of less than one percent, or blackjack, a game that is profitable for most casinos because it can be played at speeds suitable for large volumes of wagers.