A casino (or gambling house) is an establishment that offers various forms of gambling. In the United States, casinos are licensed and regulated by state governments. Some are combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants and/or retail shopping or entertainment attractions. Most casinos feature a variety of games that include poker, video poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, baccarat and other table and slot machines. Some have keno or bingo halls. Some casinos also have live entertainment such as stand-up comedy, concerts and sports events.
Casinos generate billions of dollars in profits every year by offering patrons a mix of glamour and excitement, entertainment, luxury and relaxation. Although musical shows, lighted fountains and shopping centers help lure visitors, casinos would not exist without the games of chance. Slot machines, blackjack, poker, baccarat, roulette and other tables games provide the billions in profits that casinos rake in annually.
Because of the large amounts of money that change hands within a casino, security is a key issue. In addition to the usual personnel, many casinos employ technology to monitor and supervise games. For example, betting chips have a microcircuitry that allows them to be tracked minute by minute and to reveal any anomalies; electronic monitoring of roulette wheels can detect and alert staff to statistical deviations from expected results.
In addition to the traditional table games, some casinos offer Far Eastern games such as sic bo and fan-tan. Many American casinos also offer two-up, banca francesa, baccarat and pai-gow.