Casino is a film about the mafia in Vegas, but it’s also a fascinating look at how casinos are designed to keep you gambling. From the flashing lights to the labyrinthine layout, everything about a casino is designed to lead you deeper and deeper into your gambling hole.

Casinos take advantage of the sunk cost fallacy by offering loyalty programs that reward players for every dollar they gamble, regardless of whether or not they win it back. These programs can range from free meals and hotel stays to exclusive access to events and VIP lounges. This can make it difficult to leave the casino, even if you are hungry or tired.

Another way that casinos encourage people to gamble is by removing the barriers that would normally stop them from doing so. For example, many casinos lack clocks or windows, intentionally making it impossible to tell what time of day it is. They also offer free drinks, which can numb the senses and cloud judgment. This can cause people to make reckless decisions, which often leads to large losses.

While Casino does lack the pizzazz of films like Goodfellas, it is still a compelling drama that shows how incredibly fucked up mob life can be. Robert De Niro’s performance is a tour de force, and the way that Nicky turns into a vicious hound after Ginger is some of the best mob movie plotting I have ever seen. It also lays bare the sprawling web of corruption that ran through Vegas, with tendrils reaching into politicians, Teamsters unions, and the Chicago mafia.