Gambling in its many forms has been part of human culture for millennia. The ancient Chinese had wooden blocks, the Greeks used dice and Romans played cards. But casinos, as we know them today, are designed to encourage players to gamble for longer than they originally intended, and thus turn a profit. To accomplish this, casinos employ a variety of psychological tricks and tactics that make it tempting for people to spend more money than they intend on games of chance.
From the lighting to the glitzy decor, casinos are carefully designed to manipulate visitors’ behavior. Without external cues like daylight or clocks, people lose track of time and continue gambling for hours past what they originally planned, which leads to higher profits for the casino. To further increase profits, casinos also entice guests to stay by offering food and drink, as well as rooms in their adjoining hotels.
Martin Scorsese’s Casino is a taut thriller that never lags or runs out of steam, even at three hours long. It features an excellent performance from Robert De Niro as mobster Nicky Aguilar, as well as a captivating story that shows how easy it is for someone to get caught up in the world of organized crime. In my opinion, this is a superior film to Goodfellas, showing how the mob truly operates instead of just a superficial depiction of partying and opulence. Its only downfall is that it does not have the pizzazz of some other films.