A casino, also known as a gaming house, is an establishment for certain types of gambling. These include games of chance like roulette, blackjack, and poker, as well as sports betting and pari-mutuel horse racing. Casinos are also a major tourist attraction and contribute to the economy of the cities in which they are located.

Casinos go to great lengths to lure gamblers into their facilities and keep them gambling as long as possible. Using sophisticated research, they employ color, sound, and scent to create the desired atmosphere. Casinos are often decorated with bright and sometimes gaudy floor and wall coverings that stimulate the senses and make players feel happy and energized. Clocks are rarely visible on the walls, as they are believed to distract players from keeping track of time.

In addition to providing the usual gambling amenities, casinos are becoming increasingly popular for their live entertainment offerings. They host concerts by world-renowned artists and side-splitting comedy shows, as well as high-end restaurants that serve gourmet meals.

While many people associate casinos with the glamorous city of Las Vegas in Nevada, they can be found across the globe. In fact, there are more than 3,000 casinos worldwide, including land-based and riverboat casinos in American states, Indian reservations with legalized gambling, and offshore locations such as the Cayman Islands. The largest casino in the world is the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore, which offers a staggering 1,324 slot machines and 185 table games.