You’re in a twinkly, noisy casino and you’re itching to roll the dice to see if lady luck is on your side. But hold on, buckaroo. Gambling isn’t as easy as it looks in the movies. It’s a serious business, one that can lead to addiction and even suicide in some cases. It also drains local economies and hurts property values in some areas. But most of all, it’s not as much fun as it looks in the movies.
Casino is director Martin Scorsese dialing up Goodfellas to 11. It’s a movie about mob life and it tells the story of Tangiers hotel owner Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro) who funnels money out of his casinos for mafia elders back East. But it’s really about his relationship with his best friend and enforcer, Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci).
Modern casino security is usually divided into a physical security force that patrols the casino and a specialized surveillance department that operates the closed-circuit television system, often referred to as the eye in the sky. The two departments work closely together to ensure that the casino’s assets are protected from theft and cheating by patrons and employees.
Casinos are designed to be visually stimulating and have many elements that help create the illusion of winning, including bright lights, loud noises, and flashing screens. They also use sound effects such as coins dropping and triumphant music to reinforce the notion that people are always winning. These psychological tricks are intended to keep players gambling longer by making them believe that they will eventually hit the jackpot.