Montell Senior 
Gambling’s convergence with pop culture is an intriguing trend that has manifested itself across various fields – social casino gaming, daily fantasy sports and esports are just some of them.
Fandom-themed video games have also seen an upsurge, providing another avenue to reframe fandom and increase player engagement.
Movies
Films often explore themes of gambling, crime and redemption through cinematic mediums. Characters featured are often desperate individuals willing to take risks for a chance at riches; this genre has been popular since its introduction in 1930 and remains profitable market for filmmakers today.
Film industry is an influential force that shapes popular culture. Movies’ massive appeal stems from their wide array of themes and genres; classic romance tales to blockbuster action flicks provide entertainment for millions worldwide.
American gambling films frequently portray women in leading roles as either good luck charms or helpers (e.g. Play Girl by Enright 1932 and Gilda by Vidor 1946), trouble-makers or liars (The Lady Gambles; Even Money) or professional gamblers/entrepreneurs (e.g. Atlantic City; Molly’s Game). Unfortunately, choosing male voices for these female characters creates gender-oriented judgment that hinders any chance of social, financial, or sentimental improvement for these characters.
Music
Gambling and music form an intriguing relationship, from casino-themed songs to musicians who incorporate cards into their work. Gambling’s appeal has also inspired several movies and TV shows featuring it; such as shows that depict high-stakes poker games or backroom deals.
Gambling and crime movies often share similar themes, focusing on desperation, organized crime and redemption. Although these movies can be entertaining, it is important to keep gambling as an activity out of people’s lives altogether.
Studies have demonstrated the power of music to influence gambling behavior; however, most research to date has been conducted in a laboratory setting. Therefore, future research should include naturalistic settings with pathological gambler samples in order to broaden existing knowledge on how music impacts gambling behavior and expand on existing knowledge about this relationship. It’s also essential to examine differences between high-tempo and low-tempo music as they could potentially have different impacts on different aspects of gaming behavior.
Online Gaming
Hollywood filmmakers have long used gambling – from underground poker games of organized crime groups to the high-stakes gambling of Las Vegas casinos – as a vehicle to explore human nature and its darker sides, with characters risking their lives for potentially large rewards. While Hollywood filmmakers typically portray gambling and crime negatively, the element allows filmmakers to show how human nature often goes beyond appearances when making films featuring gambling characters.
Online gaming has long drawn its inspiration from wider cultural influences, with game designers taking note of popular themes and turning them into gameplay mechanics. Given how discourse surrounding gambling has shifted from vice to leisure and its presence has grown globally more apparent over time, it only seems natural that gambling would begin appearing as a theme within digital games.
Casino-themed video games reflect the increasing convergence between popular culture and gambling. As online gaming becomes ever more ubiquitous, gambling may continue to influence society in unexpected and surprising ways.
Sports
Hollywood filmmakers have long depicted gambling in various forms, from high stakes Las Vegas casinos to backroom poker games. Gambling also plays a prominent role in crime movies; its representation can range from being seen as vice to an enabler of luck and power. Gambling has even become popular within hip-hop culture as a form of showing wealth and status; rappers frequently partner with casinos or invest in mobile gambling apps as part of their status display.
Gambling was once seen as an immoral vice, subject to social reform in Britain. Initial attempts at regulation focused on classism, paternalism and inequalities among societies. Seebohm Rowntree was among those who opposed gambling, believing it kept working classes underserved while spreading poverty and inequality. By 2005, however, Britain underwent major legislative change and gambling became something adults were free to participate in voluntarily. This new normalisation was driven by government policy, which encouraged people to take responsibility for their vices (though laws like Smokefree proved otherwise). Social media and gaming platforms also played a vital role.
