A casino is an establishment for gambling. The most famous casino is in Las Vegas, and other cities with large numbers of casinos include Atlantic City and Chicago. Many casino games are based on chance, and some are regulated by law. These regulations often include minimum age requirements, maximum amount of money that can be won or lost, and other rules about the game. Casinos are sometimes combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. In modern casinos, video cameras and computers monitor patrons and machines to detect cheating or other irregularities. These technicians are called gaming mathematicians or gaming analysts.
In addition to surveillance systems, casinos rely on the honesty of their employees and players. Dealers are trained to spot blatant cheating techniques like palming, marking or switching cards or dice. Pit bosses and table managers supervise each game with a broader view, watching for betting patterns that could indicate cheating. Each player at a table is also monitored by a higher-up, who tracks their play and notes whether they are winning or losing.
A casino’s profits are often derived from comps (gifts given to frequent gamblers). These may include free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows and other events, or even airline tickets. To qualify for a comp, a gambler must present an ID and the receipts for the gambling they have done in the casino. This process is known as Know Your Customer. This is required by many casinos in order to comply with regulations governing their business and to keep track of the gamblers’ behavior.