Why Are Movies About Casinos So Popular Among the Viewers?

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Why Are Movies About Casinos So Popular Among the Viewers?

Hollywood productions often include casinos in their movies. They make for a good setting, especially if the character needs to be in luxurious surroundings. Casinos are often associated with mobsters and money laundering so if those are some themes that the movie explores, it’s almost certainly going to have a casino in it. However, there are movies that are exclusively about gambling or completely revolve around these high-end gambling establishments. These titles are also very popular and here we will explore why that is. 

Lots of People Love Casino Games 

The first reason why these movies are successful is that they are relatable. Almost 30% of the world’s population loves to play luck-based games, and it’s easy to understand why. These are games that can turn your life around and people can’t help but daydream of such scenarios. There are so many users that play on £5 minimum deposit casino uk sites or apps, in hopes of hitting a jackpot by betting just a few pennies. However, there are many games that don’t involve luck, and that allows brilliant individuals to take advantage of them. All things considered, there is a big appeal behind casino games, and people are drawn to them. So it makes characters more relatable if they have a passion for gambling. 

Beating The System 

We all love inspiring stories where a protagonist prevails against overwhelming odds. In fairy tales heroes defeat dragons or giants, in sci-fi, they dismantle intergalactic empires, and in more modern stories the hero takes on the big system. Casinos tend to represent the empire of wealth, and the fact that they have cameras all over the place can symbolize the big watchful evil eye. So, having a movie where a person or group of people manage to beat a casino at their own game is inspiring.

We have a good example with a movie called 21, which is about math students playing blackjack. It’s actually based on real events which kind of helped the game become more popular. Today everyone dreams of beating casinos at blackjack by relying on a perfect strategy. In Ocean’s Eleven, the team of thieves outsmarts the impenetrable security system and manages to steal the money from the vault. Which again is viewed as dealing a powerful blow to someone who is way bigger than you. 

Tension and High Stakes Situation 

Given the nature of the games played in a casino creating scenes with a lot of tension and drama is easy. It’s easy to craft into a narrative how protagonists ended up in a high-stakes situation, or even how they got into a problem. One of the most iconic scenes from the Bond movie Casino Royale is about the poker game that can determine the faith of the world. This is one of the best movies in the franchise, and that scene definitely helped it get there.  

Another example is Owning Mahowny where the character gets kind of addicted to these high stakes, and yet manages to constantly keep his composure. It’s so ludicrous that it is admirable, and it’s definitely not something everyone can pull off. Money is very valuable to us, so we are going to sweat in those situations whether we like it or not. 

It’s Good for Story Structure 

Our civilization still uses some universal truths that were established in Ancient Greece. One example is drama and how to make a compelling protagonist for the drama genre. It needs to be someone who is way above average, who is in a position of power, and who is in peril mostly due to his or her own lack of judgment. Having a casino owner who is locked in a power struggle, or who is drowning in debt is a good template for a drama protagonist. 

We can have a situation where one falls from grace or flies too close to the sun. We also get to experience a story where that person reclaims his empire and kind of proves to the audience that he really earned it. 

Conclusion 

To sum up, casinos are a big part of our culture, and they are a very good element in modern storytelling. They can be used as an asset of an antagonist, or they can be used in the so-called fall of the mighty tales where one's hubris is their own undoing. They can create tense situations, and they can help craft a more relatable character. Overall they are a really useful element in the movie industry.