A casino, also known as a gaming hall or a gambling establishment, is a facility where people can play games of chance or skill. The games offered by casinos include slot machines, table games, and random number generator-based games. The most popular games are poker, blackjack, and craps. In addition to the tables and machines, most casinos also offer shows and fine dining. In the United States, casinos are generally licensed and regulated by state governments.

The house has a mathematical advantage in most casino games, which is the difference between expected value and actual payout (often called the “house edge”). The exact edge varies by game, but it is always positive and large enough to offset any player’s short-term gains. Players who have sufficient skills can reduce this advantage by using basic strategy or by learning more advanced techniques, such as card counting. Those who succeed in doing so are referred to as advantage players.

The first modern casinos appeared in the United States in the 1980s, and they are now found worldwide. Most are located in cities with established gambling industries, such as Atlantic City and Las Vegas. Others are built on Indian reservations and are not subject to state antigambling laws. In March 2002, Gemini Research surveyed Nevada residents who had gambled in the past year and found that they preferred slot machines to all other games combined. Among the other games, only about 6% of respondents liked to gamble on bingo and keno and just over 10% enjoyed playing table games such as craps or roulette.