A casino is a place where champagne glasses clink, locals and tourists mingle, and people of all kinds try their luck at games from poker to roulette. Whether they’re winning big or losing big, there is an incredible buzz that surrounds the whole scene. But casino patrons are a diverse group – some strut around in confidence, expecting to win big again and again. Others feel a different kind of rush as they hope to recover some of their lost money from their last trip.

There’s no doubt that casinos have some of the most exciting atmospheres on the planet. They’re flashy, extravagant places where music blares and the beat of the casino floor is in your ears. With a variety of food and drink options, stage shows and dramatic scenery, there’s no shortage of things to do inside a casino. But even if casinos didn’t add all of the extra amenities, they could still be considered a place where gambling is the primary activity.

Martin Scorsese’s Casino is an incredibly intense film that shows the darker side of Sin City. From the start, the movie is captivating and never lags in the middle. It’s hard not to get caught up in the energy of it all, with De Niro as the cool and confident Ace Rothstein, Sharon Stone as the blonde hustler Ginger McKenna, and Joe Pesci as his shady associate Santoro. The violence – including scenes of torture, a car bomb, and the death by overdose of a character played by Stone – may be shocking in some ways, but it’s believable and authentic to the reality of casino life.