In a casino, people play games of chance and skill for money. The most popular of these games include roulette, slots, poker, blackjack, and video poker. Some casinos even offer sports betting in states where this has been legalized. A casino’s goal is to keep patrons gambling as long as possible and encourage them to return, so it makes sense that they would want to provide an enjoyable experience.
To do this, casinos have a wide variety of luxuries to offer their guests. Many have restaurants and bars, stage shows, and flashy decorations. They may also offer free drinks, limo service, and airline tickets to “good” players. These perks are called comps. Regardless of how much they gamble, most people can’t help but be entertained by the energy of a casino.
Like Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls, Scorsese’s Casino is a film about Sin City. Its early sequence with a prowling Steadicam gliding through the empty Tangiers is a homage to Goodfellas’ Copacabana scene, but the movie has its own distinct style. Its most striking element is probably its performance from Sharon Stone. The woman who sexed up Basic Instinct is just as sexy in Casino, but her energy and magnetism are even more intense. She struts the room with a supreme confidence that is both empowering and intimidating. Combined with the sound of slot machines and dazzling lights, it creates a manufactured sense of bliss. This is what draws people to casinos, and it’s the reason they keep coming back.
