“Casino” (Movie Review)

A casino is a gambling establishment, typically located near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other tourist attractions. A casino may also offer a variety of games, such as blackjack, roulette, and poker. It is common for casinos to have an extensive selection of table games, slot machines, and other electronic gaming devices.

Martin Scorsese has a knack for recapturing a time and a place with his movies, and that’s certainly true of “Casino.” It feels like a documentary at times, as the movie introduces us to low-level mobster Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and the world of Las Vegas casinos during the 1970s.

The movie is packed with authentic period detail, from the tacky period decor to the teeming action on the casino floor and in the rooms of the high-rise hotel suites. And the performances are strong, particularly from the late Don Rickles as the brash wisecrackster.

One of the main themes is how casinos trick people into losing money by taking advantage of the sunk cost fallacy. A loser will often follow up a bad bet with a bigger one, believing that the first loss is a fluke. The house edge, however, will eventually grind the player into unprofitability. That’s why casinos are famous for not having clocks or windows, and they serve free drinks to keep players from realizing how much time has passed. These incentives, along with the booze that lowers inhibitions and clouds judgment, make casinos great places to lose money.