A casino is a place where gambling activities are carried out. Typically, a casino adds some luxuries to attract gamblers and to make the experience more pleasant. These luxuries can include restaurants, free drinks and stage shows. A casino can also house many types of gambling games.

Casino first appeared in Europe about 150 years ago, attracting royalty and aristocracy to elegant spa town of Baden-Baden, Germany. Later, casinos became a staple of the American gambling scene, with the first Nevada casino opening in Las Vegas in 1931. The Strip quickly became a major tourist destination, and other states joined in to legalize casinos. Mob money poured into Reno and Las Vegas, and organized crime figures took sole or partial ownership of some casinos. These mafia-owned casinos were heavily influenced by gambling’s seamy image and were often run like criminal enterprises rather than legitimate businesses.

Regardless of the gaming venue, all casinos have one thing in common: the house always has a mathematical advantage over the players. This house edge is based on the expected value of each game and can be calculated by a mathematician. The mathematicians and computer programmers who work with casino games are called gaming mathematicians.

Casinos earn their profit by taking a percentage of each wager made, or by charging admission to certain events. The profits from these operations are used to pay for the luxuries, such as free spectacular entertainment and luxury hotel rooms, that attract gamblers. The casinos also rely on high-tech surveillance systems that provide an eye-in-the-sky view of each table, window and doorway.