Casino is a movie that reveals the dark side of gambling and Las Vegas. Unlike other movies that glorify Vegas as a party spot for weekend getaways, this film focuses on the criminal activity that runs like an undercurrent through the city. The story is based on actual events that shook the city in the 1980s and still impacts it today. It explores the intricate web of corruption that involved politicians, unions, mobster families and the Midwest mafia centered in Kansas City. It also reveals how casinos make money by drawing in customers through games of chance such as slot machines, blackjack, poker, roulette, craps and baccarat.
Casinos use sophisticated technology to monitor customers and protect the house’s profits. Video cameras and computers watch over each game to supervise the accuracy of bets placed minute by minute and warn about any statistical deviation from the expected results. Computers also control the roulette wheels and dice to avoid inefficiencies, coin logs and other problems.
To put players at ease, casinos employ a variety of psychological methods. For example, they use bright colors on the rugs and walls to stimulate the senses of the players. They also refrain from using clocks on the wall because they want their patrons to lose track of time and keep playing. They also employ sounds, images and motion to keep players engaged. This is important because the more a player plays, the greater their chances of winning.