A casino is a building or room where people can gamble. It also refers to the gambling games played there, such as black jack, roulette, baccarat, and craps. Casinos also offer entertainment such as floor shows and lighted fountains, and sell food and drinks. People from all over the world visit casinos to try their luck. In the United States, about 51 million people —a quarter of all Americans age 21 or older—visited a casino in 2002.
Casinos are often built on land leased or owned by the tribes that operate them. They may be licensed and regulated by the state in which they are located. They usually have lavish decor, oversized sculptures, and richly patterned carpeting. They are designed to evoke an elegant atmosphere and to make visitors feel wealthy. The interior design of a casino can vary greatly, but the goal is to create a unique experience for the patrons.
Casinos make their money by accepting bets from patrons and managing the payouts of those bets. Many of the games are based on chance, and each one has an expected value for the house, determined by its mathematical odds. Most of these games are played on a table, which is normally designed specifically for the game being played. The games are run by a croupier, or dealer, who enables the game and manages payments. Other casino games include slot machines, which are operated by computer chips and do not require a croupier.