The best casinos in the world combine architectural grandeur and top-notch hospitality with diverse entertainment options and cultural significance. Some of the most famous are located in Las Vegas, which is known for its opulence and world-class gambling offerings. Others can be found in major cities around the globe, including London, Singapore and Macau.

When Casino first came out, it received some backlash over its perceived similarities to Goodfellas — another soundtrack-heavy mob film starring De Niro and Pesci, and also adapted from a Nicholas Pileggi book. While some of these concerns were valid, the fact remains that Casino is a stunningly well-made movie.

This may be due to the fact that it’s a period piece and, like all good movies of its genre, it focuses on a small group of characters who are shaped by their relationships with one another and by the larger forces at work in their lives. It’s also a testament to the acting of all involved, particularly De Niro and Pesci. Both deliver some of the finest performances of their respective careers, and Sharon Stone—who could have been written off after Basic Instinct and Silver Bears—is a revelation as Ginger McKenna, a tough-talking, no-nonsense hustler with big ambitions.

In addition to its stellar acting, Casino is a fascinating look at organised crime in Las Vegas and how it was transformed by massive gambling corporations into a virtual frontier of unchecked capitalism. This is reflected in the way the mobsters conceive of their own role: as agents of civilisation taming a lawless land – a clear allusion to the American west, and to the cowboy archetype that was once seen as a structuring force in an untamed wilderness but now seems to be seen as a symbol of unbridled greed and exploitation.