A casino is a gambling establishment offering a variety of gaming opportunities, including table games like poker and blackjack. These games involve a combination of chance and skill and are conducted by live dealers. Some casinos also offer video lottery terminals and other electronic machines. Other casino services include restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Many casinos are themed, using elaborate décor and dazzling lights to create an immersive experience for their patrons.

Despite the glitz and glamour, a casino is a business, not a charitable organization giving away free money. It has a number of built-in advantages that ensure it, and not its patrons, will win in the long run. These advantages, which are known as the house edge and variance, are determined by mathematical analysis. To determine these advantages, the casino employs mathematicians and computer programmers known as gaming analysts. Casinos are also careful to limit their losses by using a variety of strategies, such as limiting the amount of money they spend on high-risk bets.