Casinos are a place where champagne glasses clink and people mingle in an exciting atmosphere. They are designed to be a place where you can let loose and feel the rush of trying your luck at games like poker and blackjack that require a level of skill and strategy while slot machines offer a more laid back approach to gambling. There are usually plenty of places to eat and drink as well. The music is always upbeat and the whole experience is very exciting.

The movie Casino is an interesting study of the tensions between different methods of understanding the world. Just as the detective novel emerged in a period of confident Victorianism and epistemological tremors, Casino is set against a backdrop of a culture dominated by finance and its rough blur of antiseptically displacing organized crime and organized labor. It is a liminal culture that encompasses both the morally ambiguous worldview of Ace and the cynical pragmatism of Nicky.

Casinos make much of their money from high rollers, and the film shows how these players are treated to free food and drinks, a host of perks like limo service or airline tickets. The casino will often give these players a “comp” based on their amount of time spent playing and the amount of money they spend while there. They may also be given special rooms to gamble in and are able to make higher bets than the general public.