A casino is a gambling establishment that offers various games of chance to its patrons. Typically, these games involve cards or dice and have a high degree of skill involved. The casino industry is a multi-billion dollar business that is growing rapidly in many countries. A casino is usually a large building that houses gambling activities and may also offer other entertainment services such as restaurants, stage shows and dramatic scenery. A casino may also have an area that is specifically designed for table games such as baccarat, blackjack and poker.

The modern casino originated in Europe in the middle of the 19th century. The Hippodrome in London opened as a theater in 1900, but was later repurposed to serve as a casino. This proved to be a great success and the concept spread from there to other cities. The modern casino has become one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world.

There is one thing that is always true about a casino: the house always wins. This is because most casino games have built-in advantages that ensure the house will win more money than its customers. These advantages are mathematically determined and can be expressed as expected value or house edge.

Because of this virtual guarantee of gross profit, casinos often give their best players perks like free hotel rooms, free dinners and tickets to shows. These are called comps and they are meant to encourage gamblers to spend more money. They may even offer limo service and airline tickets for the big bettors.