A casino is a gambling establishment where gamblers can try their hand at various games of chance. Often casinos are combined with hotels, restaurants and shopping malls. They also feature entertainment events such as concerts and shows. Casinos have a reputation for being a fun place to play and are a popular attraction for tourists. They can be found in many parts of the world and are popular among people of all ages.
In modern casinos, patrons are given chips to gamble with instead of cash. This is by design to keep people playing longer and to prevent them from withdrawing their winnings early. In addition, it is much easier for security to track winnings in chips than in pieces of paper.
Casinos have strict rules about how they manage their games. They must monitor the games and patrons closely to prevent cheating, theft or other problems. Casino security begins on the casino floor, where dealers and pit bosses watch over the games with a close eye and can spot blatant cheating such as palming or marking cards or dice.
There are also “high-stakes” tables where patrons wager large amounts of money in exchange for extra service such as free meals or show tickets. The goal is to get high rollers to spend as much as possible so that the casino can make a profit. The classic example is that of Australian billionaire Kerry Packer, who was up several million dollars at a Las Vegas casino in September 2001 and was about to fly home when the terrorist attacks shut down all flights. He stayed in the casino for several more days and ended up losing $6 million.