After the runaway success of Goodfellas, director Martin Scorsese reteamed with stars Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci for Casino. The movie, which was released in 1995, was seen as a kind of spiritual sequel. At a time when violent, profane mob life was back in vogue thanks to Quentin Tarantino and other millennial auteurs indebted to Scorsese, Casino seemed like a monster hit in waiting.
Casinos are designed to be exciting and thrilling places where people let their hair down, have a drink or two, and test their luck at games like poker, roulette and the slot machines. They are filled with flashing lights, clinking glasses, and people laughing, all of which creates a sense of energy that is hard to ignore. The scent of scented oils, along with the sound of spinning reels and bells ringing, adds to this manufactured bliss.
The odds for each game are stacked in favor of the house, which means that even if you have a slew of lucky hands, you aren’t going to walk out of there with more money in your wallet than you came in with. But the thrill of the gamble, the adrenaline rush and the sense that you never know when luck will strike is enough to keep many people coming back.
Casinos also feature plenty of dining and entertainment options, including theaters and live music. They often serve up complimentary drinks and offer VIP rooms for high rollers, who are known to spend tens of thousands on a single bet.