A casino is a building that houses gambling games like roulette, blackjack, and slot machines. Some casinos add a lot of extra luxuries to attract players, such as restaurants, free drinks, stage shows, and dramatic scenery. But even the simplest casino offers thrills to those willing to try their luck.

The most exclusive casinos combine high stakes with high luxury. From Las Vegas to Macau, these top-rated locations feature opulent suites and spas alongside the gambling tables. From the glitzy Hotel Lisboa to the iconic Bellagio, here are 10 of the world’s most spectacular casinos.

A gambler’s chances of winning are always against the house, which has a mathematical advantage built into each game. The exact amount is different for each game, but it’s uniformly negative (from the player’s perspective). Casinos make money by taking a percentage of the total amount bet, which is known as the house edge. The house advantage can be as low as two percent, but it can also add up over the millions of bets placed by casino patrons.

Some casinos are designed to be visually striking and offer high-end amenities as well as the latest in technology to supervise gambling activities. For example, in “chip tracking,” betting chips with microcircuitry communicate with electronic systems that enable casinos to oversee the exact amounts wagered minute-by-minute and warn them of any deviation; and roulette wheels are electronically monitored regularly for statistical deviations. In addition to the obvious safety benefits, the technology can prevent cheating.