After the healthy return on Goodfellas prompted Universal to sign Martin Scorsese to direct Casino, a fact-based film about organized crime’s control of Las Vegas gambling operations, it seemed like a sure bet. With De Niro and Joe Pesci reprising their roles from the earlier movie, this thriller looked poised to take home all the awards. But while the film did win the top prize at Cannes, it was never able to find its audience. It’s a shame, because Casino is a superb film that deserves a bigger following.

Casino takes a slightly different angle than Goodfellas did, focusing on the men who ran the mob-controlled casinos rather than the mob itself. But it is still a fascinating look at power, corruption and greed. In fact, many of the movie’s characters are based on actual people: Sam Rothstein is a composite of Frank Rosenthal, who was a mob boss who ran the Stardust, Fremont and Marina casinos in the 1960s and 70s; Nicky is modeled on Anthony Spilotro and Ginger is based on former dancer and socialite Geri McGee.

With its dazzling lights, pulsing music and manufactured blissful experience, a casino is designed to make players want to keep gambling. For example, slot machines are programmed to use “near-misses” to keep players from cashing out or getting food and drinks, thus prolonging their gambling time and potentially increasing their spending. Casinos also offer loyalty programs to encourage players to gamble longer. They can reward patrons with free meals, drinks, hotel stays and event tickets.

Despite the glamor of casino life, there are many things that can go wrong. That’s why a casino invests a lot of money and time in security. The first layer of protection is on the casino floor, where employees have a bird’s-eye view of table games and patrons to spot cheating or stealing. Table managers and pit bosses are also watching the tables closely to ensure that patrons don’t steal chips from one another or alter dice, cards and betting patterns. Each table has its own manager to track the amount of money being won or lost.

The highest level of security is in the surveillance room, where high-tech cameras are used to monitor every table, window and doorway. The camera system also provides an “eye in the sky” that allows security personnel to watch all of Vegas at once and zoom in on suspicious patrons. Security guards also use walkie-talkies to communicate with each other, which gives them a broader view of the casino and allows them to move around quickly.

At almost three hours long, Casino is one of Scorsese’s longest movies but it never lags or runs out of steam. He uses masterful editing and taut narration to keep the story moving along. And although the movie does include some shocking violence (a torture-by-vice scene with a popped eyeball and a brutal baseball bat beating), it’s tasteful and well-edited. In fact, it’s one of the most effective and satisfying uses of violence in a film that I’ve ever seen.