Ten Great Casino Related Moments

Casinos have been the subject or backdrop of many a program or film throughout TV and cinema history. From the early days when black and whites ruled the cinemas, to the latest blockbuster releases such as the soon to be released Casino Royale, we have seen many a top actor portraying a smooth criminal, a dashing here, or hopeless romantic trying their luck or attempting to change the direction of their life and fortunes over a roulette wheel or blackjack table.

So what is it about casinos that provide such a good backdrop and subject for a film. Well, the first thing that springs to mind is the atmosphere. A busy casino radiates vibrant colours and sounds. As you enter a casino you can feel an air of expectancy, an aura of hope, intertwined with feelings of anguish, as many sit around roulette wheels and in front of slot machines trying their luck and hoping for that all important spin of the wheel or roll of the dice.

But this is not the most important ingredient that makes casinos a healthy subject for films. The all important ingredient that has been at the forefront of most peoples lives and something that we all aspire to, and many try various methods to get their hands on is MONEY!

Money, while the root of all evil, is also the cause of elation. It provides the chance to change ones life and obtain the many luxurious offerings we are confronted with each day. It also provides a great opportunity for filmmakers to build a plot around. Bank robbery, crime, racketeering, they all have an ultimate end goal, MONEY! Casinos have money in abundance. Unfortunately, casinos also have the stigma of being mafia related, due to the large amount of money involved, and the feeling that wherever there is a lot of money, there is usually a lot of crime. But for sure, wherever there is money, there is a story to tell.

So for whatever reason a film has been based around a casino or gambling, there have been many a great screen related casino moments. Here is a list of my top 10 moments in casino related TV and films. Not all will recall, or agree with the order, but nonetheless you may agree they are all worth a mention.

1.    The whole of the Simpsons casino episode (How I stopped worrying and learned to love legalized gambling, 1993).

2.    Daniel Craig having two teeth knocked out while filming Casino Royale (2006).

3.    Dr. No (1962). Where Sean Connery first uttered those immortal words "Bond... James Bond".

4.    The heavily armed Elvis impersonators in 3000 miles to Graceland (2001).

5.    Casino (1995). There are many moments from this film that I would like to add to this list, but the slick filmwork showing the flow of money from gamblers hand to the bank is worth a mention. Cannot mention the death scenes in this article.

6.    The fight scene in a seedy casino from French movie District B13 (2004).

7.    La Baie des anges, 1963. The seductive and alluring relationship between Jean Fournier and Jackie Demaistre in this casino and gambling related movie.

8.    In Owning Mahowny (2003), Dan Mahowny is in denial. When confronted by his girl friend about his gambling, he tells her "I don't have a gambling problem. I have a financial problem."

9.    Gilda 1946, Rita Hayworth performs sexy striptease but only ends up removing her gloves in this casino related movie.

10.    Every time William Macy's character positions himself at a roulette wheel, and the love scenes from The Cooler (2003).

UK Casino Gambling Addiction

Since the dawn of gambling, where ancient civilisations would offer their wares, betting on all manner of occasions, from animal races to sporting events, and since the first recognised casino houses, men have pitted their wits or put their faith in the gods in an attempt to increase what little money they had, or to regain what they had previously lost.

Of course you can reach far back into ancient times to recognise the influence of Asian and Egyptian cultures, where gambling on peoples lives and the outcome of sporting events in large arenas was common, as was the use of knuckle bones as dice. Casino houses nowadays provide a more modern background. Said to be of Italian origin dating back to the 1700s, and made popular by the Americans who first experienced casino houses back in the 1800s, they have now become a popular feature of city entertainment throughout the modern world.

Gambling itself is deeply embedded in many cultures and civilisations. From the Far East to the Western Worlds, whether simply tossing a coin to decide a fate, or offering odds on sporting results, gambling is inherent in us all. In the UK alone 300,000 people are said to have a gambling addiction with some 6.5% of these related to casino gambling.

But what is it about gambling that makes it so addictive. For example, is winning at casino games all about the money? Of course, it is the ultimate aim for any player to depart with as much of the Casino club's cash as possible, and for most amateur players the aim is to at least come away without losing too much of your salary. But really casino addiction can be more about the feeling and the euphoria of winning rather than the actual cash prize gained.

It is this state of euphoria which is said to be the main cause of gambling addiction rather than the chance of increasing your profits. Most top gamblers, that is, most gamblers who play with big money, do not necessarily need the prize money on offer. Many stars who currently earn millions of pounds each year are heavy poker players and casino gamblers themselves, and do not necessarily need the money. Of course winning one million pounds in a casino, for example, will change most peoples lives, and would be gratefully received by anyone with any degree of wealth, but there are many big gamblers out there who are losing thousands of pounds per night, just content with the thrill of playing, and addicted to the adrenalin highs and lows that can be experienced when gambling at a casino. The social element and the feeling of escapism are two other ingredients that can fuel gambling addiction. TV and films have also gone some way to promote a glamorous feel to the industry.

Researchers from the Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit at Manchester University UK are investigating decision making strategies in order to discover why pathological gamblers feel the need to gamble, usually in an uncontrolled way and usually in spite of previous heavy losses.

They are also investigating what brain areas may be involved in the creation of these decision-making strategies. They are also interested in brain areas involved in the urge to gamble, the precursor to the act of gambling.

Pathological gamblers appear to have different decision making strategies in certain situations compared to non gamblers, for example, when faced with choices which have delayed rewards as opposed to instant gratification. These decision-making strategies are thought to contribute or cause pathological gambling behaviours.

The turnover from gambling in the UK is said to be around £42 billion per year. Over £1.5 billion of this goes to the government in taxes. And while the UK government's new gambling commission are looking at ways to ensure that gambling is conducted in a child friendly, crime free manner, the recent proposals and changes make it easier to join casinos. The government proposals are also said to allow the construction of las vegas style gambling resorts in the UK. So while gambling is something we may all love to do on occasion, the addiction itself is a big problem. However, with the recent casino proposals the government seem as addicted to providing gambling solutions as much as the UK population are addicted to gambling itself.