Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four, stating that "Martin Scorsese's fascinating new film Casino knows a lot about the Mafia's relationship with Las Vegas. Like "The Godfather" it makes us feel like eavesdroppers in a secret place." He added, "Unlike his other Mafia movies ("Mean Streets" and "Goodfellas"), Scorsese's Casino is as concerned with history as with plot and character." Philip Thomas of the Empire praised the film while highlighting its similarities to "Goodfellas." He gave the film five stars commenting "It may not be Scorsese's greatest work, but this guy feeling a little off-colour is still far, far better than most people on fighting-fit form. It only gets more impressive as time goes on."