A casino, also known as a gaming house or a gambling hall, is an establishment where people can gamble and play games of chance. Some casinos have restaurants, free drinks and stage shows. In general, casino patrons are expected to behave in an appropriate manner and observe strict rules of behavior. Some casinos also have security personnel to monitor and deter cheating.
Most casinos have a high-tech “eye in the sky” system that allows security workers to watch all of the table games at once, using multiple cameras. The sophisticated systems can detect a variety of patterns, including palming (changing the direction of a card), marking (putting a different number on dice or cards) and switching chips (which can be used to cover up cheating). Many casinos also have tables for more traditional games, such as sic bo, fan-tan and pai gow poker.
To encourage patrons to gamble, most casinos offer free food and drink. The food and alcohol keep players happy and distracted from the fact that they are losing money, although it may also get them intoxicated. To further distract gamblers, many casinos use chips instead of real money. This makes it harder for gamblers to track how much they are winning or losing, and some casinos put ATM machines around the floor to help gamblers withdraw funds. In addition, some casinos have private rooms for high-rollers, offering them special inducements like free spectacular entertainment and reduced-fare transportation to and from the casino.