Gambling is a popular pastime and a casino can offer many attractions to attract customers. These establishments house a variety of games of chance and often add restaurants, free drinks, stage shows and dramatic scenery. However, there are less lavish places that could still be considered a casino.
In the twenty-first century, casinos are choosier about who they let gamble. They spend a great deal of time, effort and money on security. They also focus on high rollers who make the most profit from their gambling, and give them comps such as free hotel rooms, meals, tickets to shows and even limo service and airline tickets. In addition, they can get a better return on their investment by using surveillance equipment to track suspicious patrons.
Something about gambling (probably the fact that it involves large amounts of money) seems to encourage people to cheat, steal or scam their way into a jackpot. Hence, the reason casinos spend so much time, effort and money on security.
Martin Scorsese’s slick Casino focuses on the mob tangled around in Las Vegas, with tendrils reaching out to politicians, the Teamsters union and the Midwest mafia based in Kansas City. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci both deliver superb performances, but it’s Sharon Stone who really lights up the screen as Ginger McKenna. Her seductive and sly portrayal builds on and inverts her star turn from Basic Instinct. She’s the most charismatic performer in the film.