Casino is an epic movie that tells the story of how Las Vegas casinos took over the city and turned it into a gambling mecca. It’s a film about greed and corruption, but it also shows how the human spirit can overcome adversity in some instances. This is perhaps a lesson that is most appropriate for a movie about casinos, where there are few good guys and most of the characters are mired in avarice and betrayal.
While most people think of casinos as fun places to spend a Saturday night, they may not realize that the design and decor are carefully constructed to make you gamble more money than you intended to. Every aspect of a casino is designed to get you involved in the games and crave coming back, even though statistically the house always wins.
Gambling is a popular pastime for many people, but not everyone is cut out to be a high roller. In fact, most casino gamblers are older parents over forty-five with above average incomes. According to a 2005 study by Roper Reports GfK NOP and the U.S. Gaming Panel, the typical casino gambler is a woman who makes more than $33,000 per year.
To encourage high bettors to play more, casinos offer them “comps” (free goods and services) worth thousands of dollars, including free luxury hotel rooms, meals, entertainment and transportation. These inducements give the casino a virtual guarantee of profit, which offsets the losses from big bettors. In addition, a scented smell is wafted throughout the casino to stimulate and soothe the senses and keep people coming back for more.