A casino 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. In addition to gambling, casinos may also feature entertainment such as concerts and sports events. The term casino may also refer to a simulated gaming environment.
Gambling is a popular pastime and a source of elation for many people, but it’s not exactly a thrill ride when you walk into a twinkly, noisy casino armed with a stack of cash and a plan for some sensible blackjack or two rounds of drinks. Hours later you have no idea what time it is, how much you’ve spent, or what happened to your money. You’ve been sucked into the casino’s skewed logic. It’s called the sunk cost fallacy. And it’s one of a handful of tricks casinos employ to keep you from walking out with your wallet intact.
Martin Scorsese’s 1995 movie Casino lays bare the web of corruption that infected the mob-run Las Vegas gambling scene of the 1980s, with tendrils reaching to politicians, unions, Teamsters, and even the Midwest mafia based in Kansas City. The film features a star-studded cast led by Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, completing their tetralogy begun with Raging Bull. But, unlike other movies of its genre, it is not a triumphant story of revenge and redemption. It is a harrowing depiction of human tragedy, and it’s not easy to look away.