Casino is a Martin Scorsese movie that’s as much of an epic history lesson about Vegas as it is a gangster drama. The movie shows how huge gambling corporations took over the city and how the mob lost control of a town that was minting money in billions. At nearly three hours long, the film is one of the longest movies from Scorsese but it never lags or runs out of steam. It has some over-the-top violence in the form of torture, a car bomb and the murders of Robert De Niro’s and Joe Pesci’s characters, but it’s done for dramatic effect and truthful representation.

While the main business for casinos is gambling, they also offer other entertainment options like stage shows, restaurants and free drinks. They also give patrons the chance to test their skills at table games like blackjack, poker and roulette. They also have video games that use a combination of luck and skill to win prizes.

In order to maximize their profits, casinos analyze the house edge and variance of all their games. These are mathematical formulas that tell them how much profit they can expect from each game played. These are calculated by mathematicians and computer programmers who specialize in casino analysis. It is rare for a casino to lose money on its games, even for one day. This virtual assurance of gross profit allows them to lavish high bettors with comps worth tens of thousands of dollars.