A casino is a gambling establishment where people can exchange money for chips to gamble on games of chance. These include table games (such as poker and blackjack) and slot machines. Many casinos also have entertainment shows. To gamble, you must be of legal age and follow the rules and regulations of the casino.

The most famous casino in the world is probably the Bellagio in Las Vegas, but there are many more. The Grand Lisboa in Macau, which boasts the world’s largest LED dome, is another example. Many casinos are located in exotic destinations, such as Venice or Monaco. Some are renowned for their luxuriousness, while others are known for their history.

Gambling has been a part of human civilization for millennia. Archaeologists have found wooden blocks used in games of chance in China dating back to 2300 BC, and dice appeared in Rome around 500 AD. But it was the 1400s that saw the first game still played in modern-day casinos, baccarat, appear.

Most casino games have mathematically determined odds that ensure the house always has an advantage over the players, regardless of the skill level or size of bets. These odds are known as the house edge or expected value, and they are carefully calculated by mathematicians and computer programmers who work in the gaming industry and are called gaming mathematicians or gaming analysts. Casinos also use technology to supervise their games. For example, in some casinos, betting chips have built-in microcircuitry that allows the casino to oversee bets minute by minute and quickly discover any statistical deviation from expectations.