A casino is a large building that offers various forms of gambling. These games often involve a mixture of chance and skill, and the house usually makes money by charging a commission, known as a rake, to players who place bets. Casinos also offer many other amenities to attract and retain customers, such as restaurants and bars. Some casinos are famous for their glitz and glamour and may be featured in movies or TV shows.
Gambling in some form has been part of human civilization for millennia, with the first evidence dating back to 2300 BC in China. Dice were in use in Roman times, and card games appeared soon after. Modern casinos are enormous complexes that feature hotel rooms, gourmet restaurants, designer shops, and top-billed entertainment shows.
The table games most associated with casinos include baccarat (also known as chemin de fer), blackjack, and craps. In addition, most American casinos have poker tables, and some have keno and race tracks. Other games such as sic bo, fan-tan, and pai gow are played in Asian casinos.
Some casinos have special departments that specialize in house edge and variance analysis. The mathematicians and computer programmers that work in these departments are called gaming mathematicians and analysts. Casinos also hire specialists to help them develop new games and improve existing ones. These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. This selection is based on a combination of factors including popularity, word count, and whether the article contains links to external resources.