After the success of Goodfellas, Scorsese’s Casino became a logical follow-up. The film lays bare an intricate web of corruption in Las Vegas, with tendrils reaching into politics, the Teamsters unions, and Midwest mafia operations. It’s a story about gambling, but it also reveals how thugs like Ace Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) use money as their moral compass.
In modern casinos, a variety of entertainment options draw people in, but the vast majority of profits come from games of chance. Slot machines, blackjack, craps and other table games provide the billions of dollars raked in by American casinos each year. Even though musical shows, lighted fountains and shopping centers help attract customers, casinos would not survive without the games of chance.
When a player wins on a machine, bright lights flash and music blares. These are designed to create a manufactured feeling of joy that keeps players coming back for more. Casinos also employ security to monitor patrons and prevent cheating and stealing. A pit boss watches over the tables with a more granular view, looking for betting patterns that could indicate cheating and observing patrons’ behavior to ensure the integrity of the game.
Casinos also use comps to reward loyal patrons. These perks can include free food, hotel rooms or even limo service and airline tickets. These strategies make a casino a unique and attractive destination for a wide range of audiences.