Casino is the masterful movie that brings director Martin Scorsese’s mob drama Goodfellas up to 11—it’s a lurid, uncensored portrait of Vegas life. The cast is nothing short of spectacular. Robert De Niro’s sleazy Sam “Ace” Rothstein is the center of attention, and he’s supported by a cast of characters who are just as captivating: Sharon Stone plays the blonde hustler Ginger McKenna; Joe Pesci is the mobster in waiting Nicky Santoro; and Paul Sorvino is the sly owner of the Tangiers hotel.
The soundtrack is a perfect mix of the old and new. Besides the pulsing rock and funk, there are also snippets of disco, soul, and jazz, which help to keep things feeling fresh. It’s a testament to the film’s production that it has stood the test of time so well.
Gambling is fun, but it’s not as easy to quit as you might think. That’s because casinos are designed to make money from players, using a combination of lights, sounds, and physical design that is at once welcoming and hard to walk away from.
Often, essential facilities like restaurants and toilets are located deep within the gaming floor, so that players must pass by gambling tables on their way to use them. This technique, known as path-reversal, helps to ensure that players stay at the casino longer than they planned. It also increases the likelihood that they’ll spend more money than they intended, and this makes for a big profit for the casino.