A casino is an establishment that offers gambling services. Its facilities may include gaming tables, slot machines and other electronic games, as well as entertainment shows. In most countries, casinos are licensed and regulated by government authorities. Some casinos also offer hotel and retail facilities.

Casino is also the name of a family of tabletop games (also called board games) that typically involve a game board with numbered squares or rectangles. These games have been around for thousands of years, and are believed to be among the oldest types of game. Some examples are backgammon and cribbage. Some of these games are played with dice, while others use cards. In addition to the main game board, many have additional components such as counters or miniatures that help players keep track of the action.

Gambling is a popular pastime and has been practiced in some form throughout history, including ancient Mesopotamia, Greece and Rome, Napoleon’s France and Elizabethan England. It was widely illegal until the early twentieth century, when it began to be legalized in Nevada and elsewhere.

Today, the world’s top casinos are more than just places to gamble—they’re opulent resorts that cater to every whim of high rollers and tourists alike. With Michelin-starred restaurants, designer boutiques and top-billed entertainment shows ranging from high-flying circus acts to the latest musicians topping Billboard charts, these ultra-modern, palatial megaresorts are sure to leave a lasting impression, even if you don’t end up winning big at their gaming tables or slot machines.