Oh, Hollywood, the Holy Land of cinematography. It is considered the cradle of the American film industry, which is no small feat for a small neighborhood of Los Angeles. The shiny district is the embodiment of the American Dream that, though elusive, has been the source of inspiration for so many artists.
Each year, Hollywood is visited by millions of people who are either tourists or rising stars hoping for a breakthrough. The multi-million industry has been setting trends of modern filmmaking for years. Whatever is happening in the world, rest assured it will get noticed by Hollywood hotshots and quickly placed on the silver screen.
One specific theme that is often seen featured in movies is gambling. The casino industry is, due to change in regulations, about to become a more present notion in the public eye. However, it has been the star of countless award-winning titles for many years. Why is that happening and what is the allure of gambling in movies? We are hoping to find out.
The Circle of Fame
Everyone and everything that comes into Hollywood is immediately turned into gold. In a way, we can even say that Hollywood made gambling famous. Just like everything else that appears in the stellar hood, the industry of gambling was permanently etched on the stones that make the Hollywood pavement. The intoxicating glitz, luxury, risk, and high living on the edge are all ways to describe powerful casino scenes in our favorite movies.
Hollywood + Gambling = James Bond.
One of the world’s most-loved fictional secret agents is one who certainly loved chilling with a round of Baccarat in his downtime. Or even when he’s working – although being a secret agent means that he is technically always working.
The entire franchise revolves on his dangerous lifestyle and penchant for misbehaving, but what really made him stand out was the gambling.
Every Bond movie features at least one casino scene, up to the Casino Royale where the entire movie can be classified as one long scene in a casino. Agent 007 is well-versed in most casino games, including poker, baccarat, and roulette. Probably even Blackjack.
Speaking of which, a game of Blackjack is a popular choice in several other movies, including 21 and Rain Man. Dustin Hoffman’s award-winning performance in Rain Man brought him, Blackjack and casinos at the center of everyone’s attention.
Right Back at You
We talked about how movies placed gambling under the spotlights, but the significant impact was achieved vice versa as well.
Namely, the casino industry is known for the creative slot machines found across the online gaming universe. These slot games have kept pace with the technological advancements, and they remained firmly positioned as the top choice of the players.
New money slot games appear almost every day and are constantly added to casino websites. With so many titles to choose from, innovation and creativity are a prerequisite, which means developing companies must work really hard to create something the audience has never seen before.
Slots are also a great platform for remakes and revivals of popular shows and films. Consequently, several movie-themed slots hold the top of the most famous slot machines, including Dirty Dancing, Gladiator, King Kong, and Terminator 2.
The branded games attract more players, hence creating such titles is beneficial for all parties involved.
The Interconnectedness
Essentially, the two industries are complementary to each other.
Movies depict casinos while casinos immortalize some of the greatest movie creations through creative slot machines found in lobbies. Together, Hollywood and casinos represent glamour and opulence – a specific lifestyle reserved for risk-loving, high-rolling individuals.
More open representation gives the audience a chance to look at gambling from a different perspective. Gambling is often considered a controversial topic for most people. However, it is proved that via movies and shows that feature scenes in casinos, the casino industry can be brought closer to the audience without the sense of prejudice or stereotypes.
After all, today’s gambling industry pours a lot of hard work into protecting the customers and players from harm by promoting responsible gaming, so it is only logical that Hollywood helps in that aspect.
By helping, we mean presenting the viewers an objective and neutral approach to the concept of gambling. So far, the representation has been a little bit biased, but with more screen time, the concept will slowly become more normal and universally accepted.
The stigma is certainly there, but the audience is nevertheless captivated.
