A casino is a place where games of chance are played and money exchanged. In the modern sense of the word, it is an elaborate building that houses many games, from card tables to slot machines. It may also contain restaurants, entertainment venues and other facilities. There are also smaller, less extravagant establishments that still qualify as casinos.

While casinos add a number of amenities to attract customers, they are essentially profit centers. Each game has a built in advantage for the house and this edge, even when skill is not involved, can be significant over time. It is this profit that allows them to build enormous structures with fountains, towers and replicas of famous landmarks.

Something about gambling seems to encourage people to try to cheat, steal or scam their way into a jackpot. This is why casinos take major steps to ensure that fraud doesn’t occur. They have cameras everywhere to keep an eye on visitors, paper shredders to protect customer records and other equipment that helps them monitor suspicious activity.

Casinos are also choosy about who they let gamble. They usually separate high-stakes players from the general population and offer them special perks, known as comps, that can include free show tickets, meals and hotel rooms. In addition, they will often closely watch the play of high rollers to make sure that their wins don’t exceed a certain amount. Casinos also tend to sway the odds of winning by offering different payout rates for video poker and slots.