Casino is a Martin Scorsese drama that depicts the inner workings of the mob in Las Vegas. It lays bare the tangled web of corruption that had tentacles reaching out to politicians, the Teamsters union, and the Midwest mafia based out of Kansas City. The movie is incredibly convincing in its portrayal of human greed and treachery. Although some of the violence is over-the-top (the attempted car bombing of De Niro, the beating of Sharon Stone’s Ginger McKenna) it all rings true to reality.

Every aspect of a casino is designed to lure gamblers into spending their money. Dazzling lights, music, and physical design all create an environment that is at once inviting and hard to step away from. It is almost impossible to tell what time of day it is once inside a casino. The walls are coated with tint to dampen outside light, and the casino’s interior lighting is designed to mimic daylight. This helps players stay awake and gambling, but it also hides how long they have been at the tables or slots.

Oftentimes, casinos have difficulty understanding their target audience. They might have demographic information, such as age and education, but they lack the granular data that is necessary to make decisions about marketing. The best way to understand your audience is to listen to them. Consumers are more likely to trust each other than they are to trust a brand, and social media and word-of-mouth reviews are great ways to hear the voice of your target audience.