Well-Known Pop Culture References From The Gambling Industry

The very aura of gambling speaks of thrill, excitement, and an adrenaline rush that is hard to forget. Time and again, pop culture has used the gambling theme to attract a huge audience and has, indeed, done it without fail. From films and songs to video games, here are some famous references that are exemplary of gambling in pop culture!

Casino Royale, A James Bond Movie

Hitting the screens in 2006, Casino Royale introduced Daniel Craig as James Bond, a 00 agent. As Le Chiffre, a private banker to terrorists, holds a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro, Bond teams up with agent Vesper Lynd to defeat him. The main game of Texas Hold ‘Em is extremely intense and captures the true essence of gambling. The nail-biting sequence poker game sequence in the film is one of the most iconic of all time.

The Gambler, a song by Kenny Rogers

A classic tune in the country genre and although this song came out in 1978, it provides the listeners with a lesson that is timeless. It tells a conversation between the singer and a gambler he met on the train. Although the gambler gives him advice in what seems to be strictly gambling terms, the message beneath his words is truly inspiring. It is in fact a lesson on how to live life.

Poker Face, a 2008 hit by Lady Gaga

In this dance-pop hit from 2008, Lady Gaga gives an upbeat and rather catchy description of what seems to be her love life. She directly refers to the blank face players in poker use to not give away their hand, both in the title and multiple times in the choruses of the song. Just like in gambling, the game of love has its own stakes, needs intuition, and sometimes, has some bluffing as well! Gaga wants her man to be hooked to her, just like Platincasino keeps its players coming back for more with its top-rated slot games!

Fallout: New Vegas, a popular video game

This 2010 action role-playing game by Obsidian Entertainment gained much positive attention following its release. In the post-apocalyptic open world, the player reaches the remains of Las Vegas where they can also get into the casinos. The casinos featured in New Vegas are: Ultra-Luxe, Atomic Wrangler, Goorrah, Vikki and Vance Casino, and The Tops. They all have their individual cap limits. Indeed, there is much to explore and find out in this game.

Twisted Fate, a character from League of Legends

League of Legends is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game by Riot Games where five players forming two teams battle in player versus player combat and defend their map. Twisted Fate is a character who is an infamous card master and swindler. He has a wide range of abilities that not only wins bonus gold but can also unleash damage on enemies. Dressed in a suit and a top hat, he always has an ace up his sleeve!

Conclusion

Gambling references can be found in a practically endless list of films, songs, and video games throughout history. From The Hangover (2009) to Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and famous songs like Tumbling Dice by The Rolling Stones, pop culture keeps using the theme or borrows a part of its essence, as it never goes out of style!

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There’s a lot of music out there - good music. At Essentially Pop our remit is that we cover music that deserves to be heard, with a particular focus on independent artists. That doesn't mean we won't cover your old favourites - rather we hope to give you some new favourites as well.

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