A casino, also called a gambling house or a gaming room, is an establishment where certain types of gambling are carried out. It is also a place that houses entertainment facilities, such as stage shows and concerts. A casino may also be integrated with hotels, restaurants and shopping centers. In addition, it may serve as a meeting place for various groups of people, such as business associates or members of an association.

Although casinos add a lot of luxuries to draw in visitors, such as elaborate themes, musical shows and lighted fountains, they rely on games of chance for the billions of dollars that they rake in each year. Slot machines, blackjack, roulette, baccarat and video poker are the most popular games in casinos. Other games such as craps and keno require some degree of skill but are primarily based on luck, and thus have mathematically determined odds that give the house an edge.

The history of casinos is closely linked to the development of modern capitalism and the growth of corporate control over gambling. In the nineteenth century, a number of casino companies were formed by gangsters who wanted to cash in on gambling’s popularity. With the advent of federal crackdowns and the risk of losing a gaming license at any hint of mob involvement, legitimate businesses began buying out the mobsters’ casinos.

The average casino gambler is a forty-six-year-old female from a household with above-average income. The American Gaming Association reports that 51 million Americans visited a casino in 2002, and the number is increasing. However, economic studies show that the net value of casinos to a community is negative, because they tend to shift spending away from other forms of local entertainment and toward gambling; and because the cost of treating compulsive gambling and lost productivity from workers who spend long hours in the casino offset any financial benefits.