A casino is a gambling establishment that offers a variety of gambling games. Most casinos also have restaurants and bars, and offer entertainment such as concerts, shows and comedy acts. The majority of gambling activities take place on the casino floor.

Casinos make money by charging a fee to players for the privilege of playing their games. This charge, known as the vig or rake, can be a small percentage of the total amount wagered on the games or a flat fee per hour played. In some cases the house edge, a statistical advantage for the casino, can be quite high.

Slot machines are the most popular game in a casino and generate a large proportion of its profits. They are simple to operate: the player puts in a coin and pushes a button; varying bands of colored shapes roll on reels (or on video screens) and, when a winning combination appears, the machine pays out the preset amount. The player can increase the amount of bets by pressing another button. The simplest slot machines use physical reels, while newer ones have no reels at all and are controlled by on-board computer chips.

Something about the gambling environment encourages people to cheat and steal, either in collusion with other patrons or independently. This is why most casinos devote a significant amount of their resources to security. On the casino floor, employees are constantly monitoring patrons and the games for suspicious activity. In addition, casinos have catwalks in the ceiling where surveillance personnel can look directly down on each table and machine through one-way glass.