A casino is an establishment for gambling. It is usually combined with a hotel, restaurant, and retail shops. The main attraction at a casino is gaming tables where people can place bets on various games of chance. In some casinos, live entertainment is also available. This entertainment is often in the form of a stage show or an audio-visual performance.

In the past, the term “casino” was used to refer to seedy backroom gambling parlors but today’s large and regulated casinos offer a safe environment for their patrons where they can gamble, dine, watch live shows or closed-circuit broadcasts and shop for merchandise. They also provide security guards and monitor their parking lots to protect their guests from crime.

Many casinos use psychological tactics to keep their players gambling. They use dazzling lights, pulsating music and the sound of coins dropping to create a manufactured state of euphoria that makes players want to stay and play longer. In addition, they use near-wins to make the players believe that luck is on their side.

While other movies like Goodfellas and The Departed have shown a glitzy and glamorous view of Las Vegas casinos, Casino goes deeper, showing its dark underbelly, with themes of greed, corruption and treachery tying the film together. Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone both deliver powerful performances, with their characters mired in avarice and violence, but the movie’s real power comes from its compelling drama. This is one of the best gangster films ever made, and while some mistake its depiction of mafia life as an endorsement, it’s simply a well-made drama with well-rounded characters.