Casino (film) is a Martin Scorsese film about the world of gambling and how it corrupts its patrons. Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese, Casino is a riveting look at the mob’s influence in Las Vegas. The movie is a gangster drama with tendrils that reach into politicians, the Teamsters unions and Chicago’s Midwest mafia.

Gambling is a game of chance, with an element of skill for some games. Most games have a mathematical advantage for the house, which is known as the “house edge.” This means that the casino will lose money over time, although it may have an occasional win. To compensate for this, casinos offer their patrons a variety of inducements, such as free spectacular entertainment, reduced-fare transportation and elegant living quarters.

In Casino, Robert De Niro is at the top of his form as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a man who sees himself as a principled old-school operator. He and his partner Nicky are responsible for getting the suitcases of cash back to the mob bosses; as long as they do that, the other mobsters will leave them alone. However, the two men soon find themselves enmeshed in a web of greed and betrayal that leads to their downfall. It’s an epic story of destruction and betrayal that few films can match, especially when it’s a Martin Scorsese film. The acting by the entire cast is superb. Sharon Stone in particular spikes the energy with a performance that builds on and inverts her turn as Basic Instinct’s Catherine Tramell.