Casino is a gambling establishment that offers players the opportunity to wager money or items of value against each other. Some games involve skill, but most depend primarily on luck. The house always has a mathematical advantage over the players, and that advantage is expressed as a percentage of total bets made (or expected value, in more technical terms). The term casino can also refer to an entire building used for gambling, or the collection of games and other entertainment offered by such an establishment.

Casinos use many tactics to keep people gambling, including a soothing scent, bright lights, and happy sounds. They may offer food, drink, and other amenities for free or at discounted prices to create a euphoric experience. They may offer frequent-player rewards that encourage players to return. And they make sure that people can’t tell what time of day it is by coating their windows with tint and by using decor to trick the eye into thinking it’s light outside.

Robert De Niro is undoubtedly the star of Casino, but he’s surrounded by a remarkable cast that includes Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino. The film lays bare the complicated web of corruption centered in Las Vegas, with tendrils reaching into politicians, the Teamsters unions, and mobs like the Midwest mafia based out of Chicago. The film is based on the investigative nonfiction work Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas, by Nicholas Pileggi.