After a healthy return on his first organized crime epic, Goodfellas, director Martin Scorsese reteamed with star Robert De Niro and co-star Joe Pesci to turn the tables in Casino. At a time when violent, profane criminality was in vogue thanks to the breakthrough of Quentin Tarantino and other millennial auteurs, the movie looked like a monster hit in the making.
But Casino has a deeper meaning than simply rehashing the criminal underworld. It is a cautionary tale about the dangers of gambling, and the way casinos use customer data to manipulate them into spending more than they intended.
Casinos make their money by charging people to gamble, and they are able to do this because of the built-in advantages they enjoy over the players. These advantages, known as the house edge, ensure that casinos will win more than they lose, even if all players lose their money.
To combat this, casinos have developed a number of marketing strategies that help to lure customers into their traps. They use customer data to target specific groups of people, and to provide them with comps (free gambling or other entertainment) that encourage them to keep coming back.
Casinos also create a euphoric atmosphere with blaring music and the constant clinking of coins from slot machines. This is all part of the marketing strategy, as casinos aim to create a manufactured experience that gives their customers an escape from reality and the demands of everyday life.