A casino is a place where gambling activities are legal and where the majority of patrons engage in games of chance. While casinos add luxuries such as restaurants, theaters and shopping centers to attract guests, they would not exist without the billions of dollars in profits raked in each year by their games of chance. Slot machines, blackjack, baccarat, roulette and other games of chance provide the revenue that allows casinos to maintain their elaborate hotels, fountains and replicas of famous pyramids and towers.

Something about the nature of gambling seems to encourage some people to cheat, steal or scam their way into a jackpot. For this reason casinos spend a significant amount of time, effort and money on security. In addition to imposing rules of behavior and requiring players to keep their hands visible at all times, they employ technology that includes surveillance cameras that watch every table, window and doorway. Cameras can be adjusted to focus on suspicious patrons by security workers in a separate room filled with monitors.

Most American casinos feature a variety of gambling games. The most popular are the card and dice games such as blackjack, poker, baccarat, craps, and solitaire. In addition, some casinos feature traditional and video poker games. Other popular casino games are keno, roulette, and far Eastern games such as sic bo, fan-tan, and pai gow. Casinos also offer an array of other entertainment, such as cabarets, music acts, and live sporting events.