Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas

A casino is an establishment that offers various forms of gambling. This includes table games, such as blackjack and roulette, and slot machines. It may also offer poker, which is played against other players and the house takes a small percentage of the pot as a “rake.” Many casinos have dedicated poker rooms where players can participate in tournaments.

In addition to games, a casino also provides food and drinks. This helps to create a comfortable environment for players and makes them feel welcomed. In addition, most casinos offer a variety of loyalty programs that reward players for their continued spending. These rewards can include free meals, rooms, or exclusive events. This can encourage players to continue gambling, even if they are losing money.

The film Casino, starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, is based on the non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, who had full access to Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro). The movie depicts a world of mob corruption that centered around casinos in Las Vegas. Its tentacles reached out to politicians, Teamsters unions, the Chicago mob, and even the Midwest mafia based out of Kansas City.

Scorsese tells the story with energy and pacing that he’s known for, as well as a wealth of details that capture the period, from the tacky 1970s-style decor to Ace ordering the cooks to put “exactly the same amount of blueberries in every muffin.” Like other good gangster movies, it shows how fucked up that life is, and while it lacks the pizzazz of Goodfellas, it still feels authentic.