A casino is a place where people can gamble on games of chance. Some casinos also offer free drinks and food to players while they play. In most casinos, the house always has an advantage over the players. This advantage is known as the house edge or expected value. Casinos use mathematical models and computer programs to determine the house edge for each game they offer. The mathematicians and computer programmers who do this work are called gaming mathematicians and analysts.
In the United States, the largest casino is in Las Vegas. Many other cities have small casinos, including Atlantic City, New Jersey; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Reno, Nevada. Some casinos are owned by hotel chains; others are operated by independent companies. In some cases, the same company operates both a casino and a hotel.
Because of the large amounts of money involved, casinos are susceptible to theft and cheating. Casinos employ a variety of security measures to prevent this. In addition to manned security, most casinos have video surveillance systems. These cameras are monitored by security workers who can adjust them to focus on suspicious patrons. In some cases, gambling machines are equipped with microcircuitry that allows them to track how much a player has won or lost and can alert the security staff of any unauthorized activity.
Some casinos give away complimentary goods or services to regulars, such as free hotel rooms or tickets to shows. These are known as comps. Casinos may also have a rewards program that offers free meals, rooms, limo service and airline tickets to high rollers who bet a lot of money. These programs are designed to attract repeat customers and increase customer loyalty.