A casino is a gambling establishment that accepts bets on various games of chance and skill. In addition to offering slot machines, casinos also feature poker, roulette, blackjack, and other table games.

Martin Scorsese’s riveting film Casino chronicles the mob’s takeover of Las Vegas casinos. It stars Robert De Niro as the legendary bookie Sam “Ace” Rothstein and Sharon Stone as his drug-addicted trophy wife, Ginger McKenna. The film lays bare the vast web of corruption that ran through the city at the time, with tendrils reaching into the Teamsters unions and Chicago’s Midwest mafia.

Casino is based on a nonfiction book by Nicholas Pileggi, who had full access to Sam Rothstein (a mobster) and other sources for the movie. It plays like a documentary, with narration by Rothstein and others explaining how the mob skimmed millions from the Vegas casinos.

Casinos are carefully designed to influence visitors’ behavior. They often feature labyrinth-like walkways lined with enticing game sections. They don’t display clocks or windows, because they want players to lose track of time and keep gambling. Moreover, they offer comps—free meals or hotel stays—to loyal customers to encourage them to spend more money. This strategy has been criticized by experts as ethically wrong, but it has been proven to be highly effective in increasing profits. Whenever a player wins, bright lights flash and music blare, creating a false sense of euphoria that entices other players to continue betting more money.