For the most part, casinos are built around gambling and games of chance. Although musical shows, lighted fountains, shopping centers and lavish hotels help to draw in the crowds, casinos would not exist without the billions of dollars that are raked in every year by slot machines, blackjack, roulette, craps, keno and baccarat.

While the positive effects of gambling may be a good thing for the economy, it is important to remember that it is a form of entertainment and should be enjoyed responsibly. In the hands of compulsive gamblers, it can have devastating consequences.

Casino is a movie about organized crime, mob corruption, and betrayal set in the Las Vegas casino world. The film is based on the non-fiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie with director Martin Scorsese.

The story centers on Ace (Johnny Depp), the charismatic leader of a low-level mobster group called the Gold Rush. He carries out orders from his boss, mobster Artie Piscano (James Woods). In the film, the Gold Rush is threatened by an upcoming FBI raid and starts to lose money. To counter this, they begin to pay off a few high rollers, including the womanizing Ginger (Kim Basinger). However, Piscano soon discovers that this is a form of blackmail and tries to stop them. The federal agents execute search warrants on the Gold Rush and Piscano’s house, which gives them all of the evidence they need to bust the entire crew, including Ginger and her pimp boyfriend Lester Diamond (James Woods). In the end, Ace is left alone with his wife, Nicky (Gina Gershon), and their baby Amy.