Casino (also known as a gambling house) is an establishment for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are operated by government-owned corporations while others are owned and operated by private individuals or groups. In some countries, casinos are legalized and regulated while in others they are illegal. This article discusses the history of casino gambling in the United States and worldwide, as well as the economic and social impacts of casinos.
Although many movies set in Sin City glamorize its nightlife and glitz, Casino is one of the rare ones that digs deeper into the town’s dark side. With its scenes of torture-by-vice, a gangster’s popped eyeball, and a baseball bat-beating, the movie has some truly hellacious violence. But Scorsese wasn’t using it for shock value: He was faithfully portraying what actually happens in the town.
With greed and treachery as its central theme, Casino doesn’t have room for heroes or heroines. But it does have some of the most interesting characters, led by Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone. Both are in top form, but Stone’s performance elevates the movie to another level. Her Ginger McKenna is a relentless force, and her dynamic with the more refined Sam Rothstein gives the movie its climax. At almost three hours, Casino is one of Martin Scorsese’s longest films, but it never lags or runs out of steam.