We’ve all been there: You stride into the twinkly, noisy casino brimming with confidence and a wallet full of cash. You’re planning to have some enjoyable, sensible gaming and maybe two rounds of drinks. And then, hours later, you have no idea what time it is or where your money went. That’s because casinos use sound, lighting, and physical design to lead you into spending more money than you had planned.
Most of the time, a casino makes money by charging players for playing games that have a mathematical expectation of winning (assuming optimal play). This is not to say the odds are stacked against you; you can make good money by gambling smartly. But you should always know how much you can afford to lose, and be willing to walk away if you get bored or run out of money.
Another source of revenue for casinos is a “rake,” which is the amount of money that the casino takes on bets placed by its patrons. Unlike the house edge in games that require skill, this number is not constant and varies depending on rules and player experience.
While Casino is not Scorsese’s most violent movie, the scenes of De Niro tortured by a vice and buried alive in a cornfield may be disturbing to some viewers. But the director was not using these violent scenes to shock, he was simply portraying reality. Legalized gambling is a powerful economic force, creating jobs and driving business for local restaurants, hotels, and other tourist attractions. It can even reduce unemployment in a struggling community by providing a new source of tax revenue.