A casino is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. Many casinos also offer live entertainment. Some casinos are family-friendly, offering a range of activities and entertainment that appeal to a wide audience. Others are upscale, offering high-stake games and luxurious environments. Still others are committed to sustainability, implementing environmental initiatives and contributing to social causes.

Gambling likely predates recorded history, with primitive protodice (cut knuckle bones) and carved six-sided dice found at ancient archaeological sites. However, the modern casino, which combines gaming with other entertainment and sometimes food and beverage services, did not emerge until the 16th century, when a gambling craze swept Europe. Rich Italian aristocrats created private clubs, called ridotti, to gamble and socialize without interference from the authorities.

Most casinos generate profit by charging an advantage to players of a given game, such as the house edge in roulette or the vig or rake in poker. This advantage can be small, a few percent for some games, or large, in the case of slot machines, where the machine pays out a proportional amount of winning combinations.

Some casinos earn a significant portion of their profits from high rollers, who play for tens of thousands of dollars or more. These players are generally escorted to special rooms where the maximum bet is significantly higher than in the main casino floor, and they can receive comps such as free luxury suites and personal attention from casino staff. Critics point out that these gamblers shift money from other local businesses and that the cost of treating problem gambling often offsets any monetary gains.