In addition to the gambling rooms and tables, casinos are often home to restaurants, bars, theaters, spas and top-notch hotels. Some are even theme parks. Yet despite all the flash, casinos are still businesses that draw patrons primarily by offering games of chance. The billions in profits casinos rake in every year come from games like poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and slot machines.

Casino is the story of Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro), a Jewish American gambling expert and handicapper hired to run the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas on behalf of the Chicago Outfit. The movie also focuses on Nicky Santoro (Pesci), a mafia mobster, and Ginger McKenna (Stone), a streetwise chip hustler who seduces Ace and makes him lose his grip on reality.

Security begins on the casino floor, where employees keep their eyes on the players to ensure everything goes as it should. Dealers are trained to spot blatant cheating and can quickly see if someone is palming or marking cards, while pit bosses and table managers keep an eye on betting patterns to make sure nobody is stealing chips.

To increase profits and encourage gamblers to play longer, casinos use a combination of marketing and design to create a manufactured blissful experience for their guests. Wafting scented oils and the joyful sound of slots can make people feel happy and euphoric, which can keep them playing. Moreover, most casinos have maze-like layouts with tightly packed gaming areas and purposefully obscured exits to encourage people to stay.