Casino is a film about gambling, casinos, and the mob. It was directed by Martin Scorsese and is based on the book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi. The movie is a story of the mafia’s waning influence in a city that has always relied on chance for its survival.
In the beginning, mobsters controlled almost all casinos in Las Vegas. But when real estate investors and hotel chains realized the potential of casinos as a destination tourist attraction, they started buying out the mobsters and running them as legitimate businesses without mob interference.
When you enter a casino, the first thing you see are rows of gaming tables and machines. Even when you go to the bathroom, it’s hard not to walk past some more opportunities to gamble. Bright lights flash and sounds blare, encouraging you to press your luck. And when someone hits a jackpot on a slot machine or rakes in a pile of chips at the table, cheers rise from other players.
And while it’s true that casinos are full of temptation, they also employ security measures to keep their patrons safe. Cameras in the ceiling watch every table, window, and doorway. Elaborate surveillance systems can be adjusted by security workers to focus on suspicious patrons. And the routines and patterns of casino games are designed to make it easy for security personnel to spot any deviation from expectations. Nevertheless, something about gambling encourages people to cheat or steal, whether they’re trying to win the jackpot on a slot machine or attempting to beat the dealer at blackjack.