The casinos of the world attract millions of visitors each day. From the glitz of Vegas to the illegal pai gow tables in New York, each casino has its own unique atmosphere that lures in gamblers. According to the American Gaming Association, 51 million people visited a casino in 2002 alone. These visitors come from all walks of life and are from every country in the world. Many casinos are located within walking distance from homes or work and are accessible to commuters using bus, train, subway or airline. Some casinos are even open 24 hours.
The gambling establishments earn money by offering patrons the opportunity to wager on games of chance, and sometimes skill (video poker). Each game has a built in house advantage that generates revenue. This advantage is called the house edge or vig. This edge can be small, but the millions of bets placed by patrons give casinos a net income. Casinos also offer comps to some players. Comps are free goods or services, such as limo service, meals, hotel rooms, shows or tickets to sporting events that casinos give out to high rollers and frequent players.
While many movies and TV shows depict the glamorous opulence of Las Vegas, Casino offers an inside look at the seedy underbelly of the city. The film is a riveting drama that is filled with corruption, greed and treachery. The cast is top notch, led by Robert De Niro as mob boss Santoro and Sharon Stone as blonde hustler Ginger McKenna. The film clocks in at nearly three hours, but never lags or loses steam.