A casino is a place where people gamble games of chance or skill. Successful casinos bring in billions of dollars each year for their owners, investors, corporations and Native American tribes. State and local governments also reap revenues from taxes on casino gambling.

A modern casino often resembles an indoor amusement park, complete with musical shows and lighted fountains. The vast majority of a casino’s profits, however, come from gaming. Slot machines, blackjack, poker, roulette and other casino table games provide the billions of dollars in revenue that casinos are famous for.

Gambling has long been a popular pastime in many societies. The precise origins of gambling are unknown, but it can be traced back thousands of years. From Ancient Mesopotamia and the Greeks to Napoleon’s France and Elizabethan England, gambling in some form has always been part of human culture.

In the twenty-first century, casino owners are choosier about who they allow to gamble. They focus their investments on high rollers, or patrons who spend a lot of money. To attract such big bettors, casinos offer them free spectacular entertainment and transportation, luxury living quarters, food and drinks while gambling, and other inducements. Casinos also offer lower-stakes gamblers reduced-fare transportation, free hotel rooms and drinks, cigarettes and cigars while gambling, and other amenities. Casinos are found worldwide, but the largest concentration is in Las Vegas, Nevada. Other major gambling centers include Atlantic City, New Jersey, and the Chicago area.