Whether they’re enjoying an online casino game, watching a live show or playing in a brick-and-mortar establishment, humans often seek escapism. Escapism can help people deal with daily stress and anxiety by allowing them to escape into an entirely new world, free from the stresses of their own reality. These hobbies also have numerous mental health benefits, including reducing anxiety, lowering blood pressure, increasing cognitive function and improving concentration and memory.

Casino is a classic example of this. While it may lack the bravura set pieces and stylized editing of Goodfellas, it does a great job of capturing the predatory nature of the mob lifestyle through compelling characters and captivating themes. It is also one of the best depictions of a mobster’s egomania in film. Robert De Niro’s character – the way he pays attention to detail and the false bedrock that his marriage was built on – is utterly captivating. The whole plotline of Nicky becoming a hound after Ginger is also one of the most beautifully-built scumbag plotlines in film history.

Casinos are all about making money from their patrons, and this is done by encouraging people to stay longer and take more risks than they would otherwise. This is why they spend so much time, energy and money on security. Security starts on the casino floor, where employees keep their eyes peeled for blatant cheating and shady behavior by players. Security personnel also monitor every table, window and doorway using cameras that can be adjusted to focus on specific patrons by workers in a room filled with banks of security monitors.