Casino
In casinos, customers gamble by playing games of chance or in some cases with an element of skill. The house has a built-in advantage that ensures it, not the customer, will win. This advantage, known as the house edge, is mathematically determined by the rules of the game. Casinos also collect a percentage of money wagered from players, which is called the rake. Lastly, they often give out complimentary items or comps to players.
Because of the large amounts of money handled within casinos, cheating and theft are common. Both patrons and employees may steal money from one another, either in collusion or independently. Casinos have a variety of security measures to prevent this, including armed guards and surveillance cameras. In addition, casino staff members are trained to spot shady behavior by customers. For example, they know to look for erratic behavior, such as when a player repeatedly presses the same button on a slot machine or when a shopper makes repeated purchases in the gift shop without restocking.
Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci both deliver powerful performances in Casino, but the movie’s strength lies with its depiction of violence and corruption. Although some scenes are over the top, such as the torture of a man with a vice and the murder of Sharon Stone’s character by car bomb, Scorsese uses them for dramatic effect rather than simply shock value. He also focuses on small details that add up to the overall story.