When you walk into a casino, you’re immersed in a dazzling atmosphere of flashing lights and engaging sounds. Whether you’re betting on a hand of blackjack or spinning the wheel of roulette, you can feel the thrill of the potential for winning. But there’s one thing you should know: You won’t win every time, and you could even lose more than you’re playing with.

In a movie that explores the seedy underbelly of Vegas and how money can be used as a weapon to control others, Scorsese gives his characters a lot of depth and complexity. The cast is incredible, especially De Niro and Sharon Stone.

The movie begins on the Vegas strip and reveals an intricate web of corruption that stretches from Las Vegas to politicians, Teamsters unions, and the Chicago mob—and even to old-school crime bosses in Kansas City. It’s a story of greed, treachery, and betrayal that leaves no good guy.

Today, casinos use a combination of enticing scents and dazzling lights to create an artificially euphoric environment that makes customers want to gamble and stay longer. The smell of expensive food, for instance, is wafted throughout the casino’s ventilation system to keep gamblers hungry and satisfied. In addition, slot machines are programmed to use “near misses” to make players think they’re winning when they aren’t. This hypnotizing environment can cause people to spend more than they intended and become addicted to gambling. But if you’re smart, you can limit your losses and maximize your winnings.