A casino is a gambling establishment. Some casinos specialize in certain types of gambling, such as baccarat or roulette. They may also have a dining room that serves gourmet meals. Other casinos focus on providing an immersive experience, with opulent decor and intricate architectural designs. The gaming floor is often filled with slot machines, table games, and other forms of gambling.

Because casinos deal with large amounts of money, they need to be vigilant about security issues. Casinos have many security measures in place to prevent cheating and stealing by both patrons and staff. These include cameras, a variety of other electronic monitoring devices, and rules of conduct. Some casinos even use behavioral psychology to influence gamblers. For example, they may hide clocks or other external cues to make the passage of time seem slower, encouraging people to spend more money.

Unlike Scorsese’s other Mafia films, Casino is not interested in creating heroes or villains. It lays bare an intricate web of corruption that centered in Las Vegas, with tendrils that reached into politicians, the Teamsters union, and the Midwest mafia based out of Kansas City. The film reveals how the mob lost control of a city that was minting money like mad, and how it was eventually replaced by huge gambling corporations. The movie is a riveting crime drama that’s also a history lesson.