The allure of world-class casinos is as much about the experience as it is about the games. From opulent decor to fine dining, these establishments offer an escape from the ordinary that delights the senses.

Martin Scorsese’s epic story of organized crime in the 1970s is more like a documentary than a Hollywood film, laying out the intricate web of corruption that centered in Las Vegas with tendrils reaching into politicians, Teamsters unions, and mobs based out of Chicago and Kansas City. The story is told with the energy and pacing that Scorsese is known for, while also being rich in little details that make it feel real. It’s not just the scenes involving violence (though they are plentiful), but the way the movie is put together – the way Ace orders the casino cooks to put “exactly the same number of blueberries in every muffin” and the way airborne feds manage to catch hoods because low-level gangsters kept meticulous records of their expenses.

While the thrill of gambling can be enticing, it’s important to remember that the house always wins. Casinos are designed to keep players playing longer by creating a manufactured state of euphoria and distracting them from their financial decisions. For example, they don’t have clocks or windows so that players are unaware of the passage of time, and they offer free drinks to lure gamblers into making spur-of-the-moment judgments that may prove costly. It is also important to set win/loss limits and practice self-control.