The elegant spa town of Baden-Baden first became a playground for European royalty and aristocracy 150 years ago, but today it’s visited by gamblers from all over the world. Its casino is the most extravagantly outfitted on this list, and a must-visit for anyone looking to try their hand at card games, roulette, and more.

The casino offers people a way to socialize and compete in a fast-paced atmosphere that keeps them on the edge of their seats. The excitement of waiting for the next spin or card gives them a rush and a sense of accomplishment. They also love the suspense of predicting whether they’re going to win or lose. Unlike lotteries and internet gambling, which are done in solitude, casinos are social environments where gamblers interact with other people, either by shouting encouragement or being surrounded by others at the tables and slot machines.

Security is another major attraction for casino-goers. Casinos have strict rules on who can enter and leave the premises, and they have highly trained personnel that monitor casino patrons for suspicious behavior. Pit bosses and table managers have a bird’s-eye view of the game areas, making sure that players aren’t stealing chips or switching cards or dice. Casinos also have high-tech “eye-in-the-sky” surveillance systems that watch every table, change, and window from a central room with banks of security cameras.

While some of the violence in Scorsese’s movie is over the top, he faithfully portrays the real-life dangers that these casino employees face on a regular basis. De Niro and Joe Pesci have a dynamic that highlights competing methods of understanding the world—traditional (institutional, intuitive) and newer (empirical)—that collide in this film.