A casino is a place where people can play a variety of gambling games. These include card games, dice games and other games of chance. In addition to the gambling, most casinos offer food and drinks. Some also have entertainment venues such as stage shows or dramatic scenery.

A small percentage of the money wagered in a casino is lost, and the average casino patron does not win more than he or she loses. The amount of money handled by a casino makes it a tempting target for both patrons and employees to cheat or steal. Consequently, many casinos take security very seriously. Security begins on the floor, where dealers and pit bosses keep their eyes on every action, looking for blatant cheating techniques such as palming, marking or switching cards. In some casinos, a sophisticated “eye-in-the-sky” surveillance system offers a more focused look at specific suspicious patrons.

Besides security, casinos focus on customer service and offer a variety of perks to encourage gamblers to spend more, and reward those who do. These perks are known as comps, and can range from free show tickets to rooms in the hotel to free meals and drinks. During the 1970s, Las Vegas casinos were famous for their deeply discounted travel packages and buffets. These and other perks were designed to maximize the number of gamblers, because most casinos make their money by volume of wagering, not profit per gambler. More recently, casinos have shifted to a strategy of targeting high-spending patrons, and offering them more luxurious perks.