A casino is a gambling establishment that offers a variety of card and dice games for patrons to wager money or other items of value. The most common games include blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, and poker. Often, these games are combined with a social aspect such as dining and entertainment. Many casinos also offer large jackpots and prizes.
In addition to the dazzling lights and sound systems, many casinos waft scented oils in their ventilation system to create a manufactured sense of bliss that keeps people coming back for more. In some cases, the scents are even available for purchase so that gamblers can take them home with them. Similarly, slot machines can be programmed to use near-misses to keep players playing, even though they are unlikely to win.
In some ways, Casino is like Martin Scorsese dialing Goodfellas up to 11. It’s a movie about corruption and greed, and it’s hard to root for any of the main characters. But that’s also what makes it so compelling. De Niro is brilliant as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a casino owner who funnels mob cash out of the Tangiers hotel and into his own pockets. And although Sharon Stone isn’t as perfect as she was in Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, her performance here is still very impressive.
