It’s happened to all of us: we stride into the glitzy halls of the Luxor, Mohegan Sun, or Tropicana brimming with confidence and a wallet filled with cash. We plan for a little fun, some sensible gaming, and maybe two rounds of drinks. But a few hours later we’re staggering back to the car, no idea of what time it is, or how much money we’ve lost. The truth is that casinos use every trick in the book to keep people spending their hard-earned cash. From the ambiance and music to physical design, casinos are designed to make it impossible for people to walk away.

There’s an intoxicating buzz inside casinos – the blaring music, the champagne glasses clinking, and the gleeful sound of coins hitting slot machines create a manufactured bliss. Then there’s the booze, which lowers inhibitions and clouds judgment, so patrons can keep putting their chips in the slot machines or pushing buttons on blackjack tables. Casinos never show a clock to their patrons because they want them to lose track of time and continue trying their luck.

While Casino is a movie about greed and corruption, it’s also about human tragedy. There are no good guys – the only characters who get their comeuppance in the end are those who deserve it most, like Ginger, played by Sharon Stone. This performance builds on her success from Basic Instinct, while also inverting it by presenting a woman who is at once seductive and dangerous.