It’s happened to all of us: You stride into a casino, wallet in hand, and plan on some enjoyable gaming and maybe a few rounds of drinks. Hours later, you don’t even know what time it is or where your money went.

The truth is that casinos are designed to bleed customers of their hard-earned cash. Beneath the veneer of flashing lights and free cocktails, the gambling industry is built on mathematical principles that are engineered to slowly drain players of their money. For years, mathematicians have tried to beat the system by using their knowledge of probability and game theory to turn the tables.

But despite the odds being against you, it’s hard to stop when you walk into a casino. Bright lights, blaring music, and the sound of slot machines create a manufactured blissful experience that’s hard to step away from. And when another player wins, cheers erupt, and the sense of possibility keeps you coming back for more.

While Casino lacks the pizzazz of a film like Goodfellas, it’s still an excellent depiction of human greed and corruption. De Niro and Sharon Stone both give outstanding performances as the casino’s key mobster figures, but it’s Joe Pesci that really shines as a gangster whose threats far exceed his physical size. And the movie is also a fascinating history lesson on how Vegas became America’s biggest gambling corporation.