When you walk into a casino, the lights and music and sound of coins clinking are designed to grab your attention. Even a person who doesn’t gamble can’t help but be drawn in by this intoxicating atmosphere.
While a lot of people gamble to win, others do it for fun and social interaction. The people in casinos are a diverse bunch, but most of them want to have a good time. Even when things don’t go their way, they usually smile. Despite the fact that they’re spending real money, they still believe in the power of blind chance.
One thing that makes gambling so compelling is that it’s not just a game of luck; you also have to be smart. The smarter you are, the more likely you are to win, but it’s hard to be both intelligent and lucky at the same time. This is why the casino industry has invested so much into security. It’s why you can’t see a clock inside a casino and it’s why bathrooms are so far away from the gaming areas.
Robert De Niro gives an outstanding performance as the crooked mobster Sam “Ace” Rothstein, but it’s Sharon Stone who steals the movie as blonde hustler Ginger McKenna. Her uncanny ability to hypnotize and control men is what keeps them coming back for more. This was her first big role after Basic Instinct, and Casino both builds on and inverts the energy of that movie.
