A casino is a place where a variety of games of chance can be played and gambling is the primary activity. A casino is also a type of entertainment establishment, and may offer a range of luxuries to attract customers, such as free drinks, stage shows and dramatic scenery. However, there have been less extravagant places that house gambling activities and would still technically be considered casinos.

A major part of the appeal of movies that center around or feature casinos is the fact that they provide an inside look at a luxurious, glamorous and often dangerous industry. From Ocean’s Eleven to Casino Royal, films that showcase the intricacies of this world have been wildly successful.

While many movies show a glamorous side of Vegas, Casino digs deep, exposing the city’s roots in organized crime while laying out the mafia’s tenuous grip on a desert oasis. It’s also one of the most violent movies Scorsese has ever made, with scenes involving violence, treachery and avarice running rampant throughout.

Something about gambling (maybe the presence of large amounts of money) seems to encourage people to cheat or steal, either in collusion with each other or on their own. That’s why casinos spend a lot of time, effort and money on security. Security begins on the casino floor, where employees keep an eye out for blatant cheating and can quickly spot suspicious betting patterns. Casinos have also invested heavily in surveillance technology, with cameras located throughout the facility.