A casino is a building or room where gambling activities take place. Gambling in its various forms has been a part of human civilization for millennia. The exact origin is unknown, but evidence of games of chance can be traced back to 2300 BC China, 500 AD Rome, and the 1400s when the first game still played at many casinos today—baccarat—appeared.

Casino, Martin Scorsese’s follow-up to Goodfellas, is in some ways a mob film dialed up to 11. The story of hoods and their empires comes to life with the opulence, neon signs, and violence that characterize Vegas. But it’s the way Scorsese tells this tale that makes it so believable and entertaining.

He’s a master at showing the big picture as well as all the little details that make up this world. He keeps the pacing fast and the exposition clear with a series of back-and-forth narration dumps from Ace Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and his mob partner/best friend from back home Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci). He also brings out all the brutality of this era of organized crime —including the torture, car bombings, and murders that befall these men —without going over the top for shock value or style.

Gambling is an intensely competitive business. Once a casino hits it’s stride it can make enormous sums of money—until another, fancier, closer, or just different casino outdistances them and steals their business. This is why the most successful casinos are constantly reinventing themselves, adding new attractions and retooling their old ones to stay on the cutting edge.