Casino

Whether you’re betting on blackjack, poker, or roulette, a casino has a certain feel to it. The glitzy decor, music blaring out, and the crowds mingling create an energetic atmosphere that makes it easy to get caught up in the excitement of trying your luck at games of chance. The sound of coins clinking and champagne glasses popping gives a rush that is hard to find in other places.

Casinos are designed with their profits in mind, encouraging game players to gamble longer and take bigger risks for the chance of a big payout. They use various luxuries, from restaurants and free drinks to stage shows and dramatic scenery, to keep people gambling and coming back for more. It’s not just the opulence that keeps casinos going, though: they also use psychological tricks to make people keep spending. For example, many casinos use a scent to trigger the brain’s reward system and make players feel good about themselves.

While Casino does have its share of bravura set pieces, it’s less of a razzle-dazzle homage to Sin City than a cautionary tale about its darker side. Like Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls a few years later, it’s not afraid to depict the seedier side of Las Vegas life. But, unlike the hysterical violence of Goodfellas and Boogie Nights, Scorsese is careful not to let it go overboard. Even the movie’s truly hellacious scenes, such as the torture-by-vice sequence that includes a popped eyeball and a baseball bat beating, are edited and judicious.