A Casino is a place where a variety of gambling games can be played. These casinos offer food, drinks and entertainment to players. Many also have a hotel or other accommodation on the premises. Some casinos are famous for their luxurious amenities and dramatic scenery. Some are renowned for the quality of their restaurants, while others are known for their shows and other entertainment.

The modern casino has a physical security force and a separate specialized surveillance department to protect patrons and property. The security force patrols the casino floor and responds to calls for assistance or reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity. The surveillance department operates a closed circuit television system that is known in the industry as an “eye in the sky.” Cameras in the ceiling watch every table, window and doorway and can be adjusted to focus on a suspected patron. Casino employees watch the surveillance system in a room filled with banks of security monitors.

Most modern casinos offer a wide variety of gambling games. Roulette is a staple of most European casinos and some American ones, which typically demand an advantage of less than 1 percent to attract small bettors. In addition to these standard games, many casinos feature traditional Far Eastern games such as sic bo, fan-tan and pai gow. Some casinos also have video poker and slot machines, which are the economic mainstay of most American casinos.