A casino, or gambling house, is a facility for certain types of gambling. Many casinos are integrated into hotels, resorts, cruise ships, retail shops or other tourist attractions. Others stand alone. In either case, a casino offers a unique mix of excitement and entertainment that is difficult to find elsewhere.

While the casino’s primary purpose is to encourage gambling, it also tries to make sure that everyone who enters the premises is having fun. This includes the casino’s employees. Casinos are staffed with highly trained dealers and pit bosses who look out for patrons trying to cheat or steal. They are also tasked with making sure that the games are running according to established rules. Casinos use bright, sometimes gaudy colors on the floors and walls to stimulate the senses and make people forget that they are inside. They often use the sound of background music and the shouting of other players to add to the excitement. Drinks are easily accessible and served by waiters circulating throughout the casino.

In addition to these measures, casinos rely on sophisticated technology to monitor their games and patrons. Casinos use cameras to watch every table, window and doorway and can adjust the lenses to focus on suspicious people or behavior. They also use electronic systems to supervise betting chips, so that they can detect any statistical deviation from expected results; and roulette wheels are electronically monitored for anomalies. But the most effective way for a casino to prevent cheating is by teaching its employees how to spot it.