A casino, also known as a gambling house or a kasino (in Spanish and German), is an establishment that offers various forms of gambling. Depending on the jurisdiction, casinos may be regulated by government agencies or private entities. Some are built as standalone facilities; others may be combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions.

Casinos earn the majority of their money from slot machines, which feature varying bands of colored shapes that roll on mechanical or video reels. A player inserts coins or paper tickets with barcodes into a slot machine, pulls a handle, or pushes a button to spin the reels. If a winning combination appears, the player receives a predetermined amount of money. In addition to slots, many casinos offer other games of chance, such as baccarat and blackjack.

In some states, casinos are legally required to give a portion of their revenue to charity. These funds can be used to support local communities, and in some cases are used for education. However, some people argue that casinos are damaging local economies, and that they encourage gambling addiction amongst the poor and the vulnerable.

Despite this, a casino is a business and must make a profit. Each game has a mathematical advantage for the house, which can be small (lower than two percent) but adds up over time and millions of bets. As a result, it is rare for a casino to lose money on a single day.