A casino’s profits are largely based on emotional decisions: Gaming, food and drinks, entertainment, and hotel amenities all make people feel good. By doubling down on these feelings, casinos can increase their ROI and keep customers coming back for more.

A wide variety of games is another key to casino appeal. Table games like blackjack and poker offer a chance to test your wits in a competition of strategy and skill, while slot machines offer a more relaxed experience for casual players. Casinos also tend to have a social element that attracts guests and provides a buzz to the place. Champagne glasses clink and tourists and locals mingle, creating an exciting atmosphere for players to try their luck.

Unlike other epic crime dramas, like Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls or Quentin Tarantino’s Goodfellas, Casino goes beyond the surface of Sin City. It reveals the city’s dark origins, including its long history of organized crime and corrupt government. The movie features a stellar cast, led by Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in the kind of roles that they both do best. It also lays bare the intricate web of corruption that was centered in Las Vegas, with tendrils reaching into politicians, unions, the mobs in Chicago and Kansas City, and even a little-known Midwest mafia in Kansas City.

While demographics are helpful for guiding marketing strategies, they aren’t enough to understand the motivations of your audience. It’s important to know what “job” your audience is hiring you to do so that you can adjust your messaging and marketing accordingly.