"No one stays at the top forever."
Casino - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and keep them coming back. The longer they play, the more they lose. In the end, we get it all.
— Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
Context:
This is part of Ace's narration at the beginning of the film, explaining the fundamental principles of running a successful casino as the camera glides through the glamorous and bustling Tangiers.
Meaning:
This quote encapsulates the cold, calculated business philosophy of Las Vegas casinos. It underscores the theme of the house always having the advantage and reflects Ace's detached, statistical approach to his work and, by extension, to life.
When you love someone, you've gotta trust them. There's no other way. You've got to give them the key to everything that's yours. Otherwise, what's the point? And for a while, I believed that's the kind of love I had.
— Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
Context:
Ace says this in a voiceover as he reflects on his decision to marry Ginger and entrust her with access to his emergency cash stash, a decision that will have devastating consequences.
Meaning:
This quote is deeply ironic as it highlights Ace's biggest miscalculation. He attempts to apply a gambler's logic to love and trust, giving Ginger everything in the hopes of securing her loyalty, a bet that ultimately leads to his ruin.
No matter how big a guy might be, Nicky would take him on. You beat Nicky with fists, he comes back with a bat. You beat him with a knife, he comes back with a gun. And if you beat him with a gun, you better kill him, because he'll keep comin' back and back until one of you is dead.
— Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
Context:
Ace's narration introduces his childhood friend Nicky, explaining the roots of his fearsome reputation as they were growing up, setting the stage for Nicky's role as the muscle of the Vegas operation.
Meaning:
This quote perfectly characterizes Nicky's relentless and escalating capacity for violence. It establishes him as an unstoppable force of nature, foreshadowing the extreme brutality he will bring to Las Vegas and the danger he poses to everyone, including himself.
Today it looks like Disneyland.
— Sam 'Ace' Rothstein
Context:
Ace delivers this line in the film's closing narration, as he observes the demolition of the old casinos and the rise of new, themed mega-resorts, reflecting on the end of an era.
Meaning:
This final line of the film expresses a sense of disillusionment and perhaps a hint of contempt for the new, corporate-run Las Vegas. The wild, dangerous, and personal world that Ace and the mob controlled has been replaced by a sanitized, family-friendly, and impersonal version of the city.