A casino is a public room or building where gambling games (such as roulette, craps, poker, and blackjack) are played. A casino may also be a place where shows or other entertainment events are held. It can be a standalone building or part of a larger hotel or tourist attraction. In some countries, casinos are licensed and regulated by government agencies.

In the United States, casinos are typically regulated by state gaming boards and sometimes have to register with a federal agency. Some states have gaming associations, which advocate for the interests of casino industry members. In addition to regulating the activities of the casino, these organizations may also oversee compliance with gaming laws.

Many casinos use sophisticated technology to monitor and control their gambling operations. For example, chips with built-in microcircuitry are used to track the amount of money wagered minute-by-minute and warn staff when a suspicious pattern develops; and a number of casino table games have electronic monitoring systems that discover any statistical deviation from expected results quickly.

In terms of the games themselves, the most common types of casino gambling are gaming machines, table games, and random number games. Gaming machines, such as slot machines, are generally played by one person at a time and do not require the involvement of casino employees; table games involve one or more players competing against the house rather than against each other; and random number games (such as craps or blackjack) are dealt by trained dealers or automated processes.