A casino, also known as a gambling house or a gaming hall, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Modern casinos are often combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, convention facilities and other entertainment venues. In some cases, they are located on ships or in other remote locations. Most games played in a casino involve an element of chance, but some require skill. The term casino can also refer to a specific game, such as blackjack or video poker.

The earliest casino buildings were simple wooden structures with tables and chairs. Later, more elaborate building complexes were constructed, using brick and mortar. Many of these casinos were designed to be attractive and entertaining to potential gamblers, with a special focus on the art of gambling. In the United States, the first commercial casinos opened in Atlantic City, New Jersey and on American Indian reservations in Iowa and other states that did not have state antigambling laws.

Casinos make money by charging customers to play games of chance and, in some cases, by taking a percentage of the winnings from players. Most casinos feature table games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps and keno, as well as slot machines. Some also offer a variety of other games, such as poker and billiards.

In the past, mobsters controlled most of the casinos in Reno and Las Vegas. However, real estate investors and hotel chains had more money than the mobsters, and they bought out their interest in the casinos. Nowadays, most casinos operate without mob interference. In addition, federal crackdowns on even the slightest hint of mob involvement have made it much harder for mobsters to take control of a casino.