When it comes to epic crime dramas, few directors are as good as Martin Scorsese. The director has made movies about corrupt Wall Street financiers, Chicago mobsters, and even a deranged would-be assassin. Casino is one of his best works, and it reveals how huge gambling corporations took over Vegas in the 1980s. It also shows how Vegas continues to reinvent itself.

While the movie focuses on three key characters, it has massive implications for the city of Las Vegas. The film lays bare the intricate web of corruption that was centered in Las Vegas, with tendrils reaching to politicians, Teamsters unions, and mobster families from Chicago. The movie is based on the nonfiction book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas by Nicholas Pileggi. The novel is loosely based on the real-life story of Frank Rosenthal, who ran several casinos in Vegas in the 1970s and 80s.

One of the main lessons from Casino is that it is important to analyze the impact of casinos on local jobs. Many people assume that a casino will increase employment in the area. However, this is not always true. For example, if a casino is located in an urban area with a large skilled workforce, it will probably provide employment for that work force. In contrast, if a casino is located in a rural area with less skilled labor, it will likely draw workers from outside the community and therefore not decrease unemployment in the original population.