A casino (also known as a gambling house or a gaming palace) is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Some casinos are stand-alone facilities, while others are combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping or cruise ships. Some casinos offer only electronic gaming machines, while others have a mix of table games such as blackjack and roulette, as well as poker. In the United States, casinos are generally licensed and regulated by state governments. Most of the world’s largest casinos are in Las Vegas, Nevada; it is estimated that over 40 percent of the world’s casino revenue is generated here.
The exact origin of casino is unknown, but gambling in some form has been around for millennia. Today’s casinos are renowned for offering more than just the chance to gamble: many also offer spectacular locations, luxury amenities and star-studded entertainment.
Caesars Palace, for instance, is a casino and hotel famous for its Roman-themed architecture and celebrity entertainers who have played there over the years including Frank Sinatra, Liberace and Elton John.
Casinos are typically divided into several departments, with the security department enforcing casino rules and responding to calls for assistance or reports of suspicious or definite criminal activity. Most casinos have a mathematically determined advantage over the players, which is called the house edge or expected value. The mathematicians and computer programmers who work on this kind of research for the casino industry are referred to as gaming mathematicians and gaming analysts.