The casino is a visual feast of flashing lights, bright colors and constant movement. These elements are intended to keep players captivated and spending more time on gambling. The sounds of coins dropping and triumphant music are also meant to keep players engaged and compel them to continue playing. The psychological element of near wins is especially effective because it leads players to believe they are close to a jackpot, which encourages them to spend more time and money gambling in order to achieve that winning streak.
The movie is filled with violence and treachery, but Scorsese isn’t using it for style or shock value. These scenes reflect real-life events and are faithful to the characters’ real-life counterparts. The torture of De Niro’s character, the death by overdose of Sharon Stone’s Ginger and the buried-alive murder of Joe Pesci’s Santoro are all shocking but they also show how these criminals were ultimately destroyed by the Vegas machine and their own greed, dishonesty and treachery.
Casino is a fascinating study of how casinos manipulate their customers to keep them gambling and spending more money than they actually have. It’s also a reminder that casinos are businesses, not charitable organizations giving away free money. Like any other business, they have built-in advantages that ensure they will make a profit over the long term. These advantages are known as the house edge. Casinos also use loyalty programs, called comps, to reward players for their continued spending. These perks can include complimentary meals, rooms, tickets to shows and even exclusive access to VIP lounges. They encourage players to gamble more in order to maintain their comp status and avoid being dropped from the loyalty program.
