A casino is a gambling establishment that offers various forms of gambling, such as slot machines and table games. It is owned and operated by a corporation and is legally licensed. Casinos are regulated and overseen by gaming authorities in some jurisdictions, while others operate independently. The term casino may also refer to a large building or a collection of such buildings. In addition to gambling, casinos often offer dining and entertainment shows. To gamble in a casino, players must be of legal age and follow the rules and regulations of the facility.

Most casino games have a house edge, which is the statistical advantage that the casino has over the players. This advantage can be expressed mathematically as the expected value of the game, and is uniformly negative (from a player’s perspective). In some games with skill, such as blackjack, the house edge can be eliminated by knowing the optimal strategy. In other games, such as poker, the house earns money via a commission called the rake.

Gambling has been a part of human culture for millennia. Many societies have practiced some form of it, including lottery, horse racing and other forms of chance-based competition. Modern casino gambling began in Atlantic City in 1978, and by the 1980s many states had changed their laws to allow them. In the United States, most casino gambling is conducted in Las Vegas and on Indian reservations. Casinos are also located in many other cities and countries around the world.