A Casino is an establishment for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops and other tourist attractions. Most countries that allow casinos have a legal framework to regulate their operation. Most casino games are based on chance, with some incorporating an element of skill. Casinos are most commonly built in cities with large populations, or near transportation hubs, such as airports and train stations.
The largest land-based casino in the world is Winstar World Casino in Oklahoma. This is a state famous for Woody Guthrie, chicken fried steak and corn that grows up to elephant ears. However, the giant casino here is all about size and thinking big; in addition to an enormous gaming area that includes a salon prive for high rollers, this sprawling complex boasts four themed gaming areas.
Casinos use mathematics and computer programs to ensure that their customers do not have an unfair advantage over the house. This is done by calculating the expected value of each wager, taking into account the house edge and variance. This work is performed by mathematicians and programmers who are known as casino mathematicians or gaming analysts.
Some casinos offer traditional Far Eastern games, such as sic bo (which became popular in several European and American casinos during the 1990s), fan-tan, and pai gow. These games are played with a set of chips that have special values on them. In addition to these games, many casinos also have a range of video poker machines and other electronic games.
