Why do gangster movies always have casinos?

 

If you’ve seen a few gangster movies, you’ve probably wondered at some point how they all feature a few casino scenes? Brutal violence, revenge, passionate love, and huge wads of thick money are a given, but why do they always play in casinos? They often also own casinos or at least a poker room, so there’s definitely a strong connection between the Mafia and casino gambling. Let’s find out why.

A Classic Connection

Casinos have long been associated with the Mafia, as many organized crime syndicates owned casinos in Las Vegas in the early 20th century. They also had gaming rooms where legendary poker nights took place, sometimes ending in someone committing suicide because they lost their temper. Casinos, poker, alcohol and drugs are not a recommended combination. But that's what sometimes happened when they went out into the Nevada desert with a pair of shovels and started digging under the light of a full moon (yes, we've seen a few gangster movies these days). Read about studying the economic aspects of online casino games on this page - https://financ.no/aktuelt/utforske-de-okonomiske-dimensionene-ved-kasinospill-pa-nettet/.

However, things look different today, as we have a more regulated gambling market, where many well-known groups have invested in casinos both in Las Vegas and around the world. It is now impossible to cheat and play by your own rules in the way it was possible in the early 20th century. When we think about the mafia and casinos today, it usually refers partly to a cinematic and partly to a historical perspective.

It has always been in the interest of the mafia to grab as much cash as possible and keep it in the "family". As you probably know, the world of gaming involves large sums of money – both in casinos and in poker rooms. Money is the basis of everything related to betting and gambling, and when casino gambling was not so controlled, you could certainly make a good living with wads of banknotes.

Perfect for film and literature

Another element is that casinos and poker offer the perfect cinematic environment to create excitement, action and interesting scenes in both film and the world of books.

We are all big consumers of films and media, so when we have seen enough films about a gang of gangsters robbing casinos, it eventually becomes natural to connect the two. Of course, the very tendency to take risks also causes an adrenaline rush when you play in a casino and when you watch films about casinos, and then you can imagine that gangsters have an extremely good tolerance for risk.

Some of the best casino movies that have managed to capture this excitement are Gambling (2015), Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, The Hangover, Casino Royale, and The Sting. They're not all about gangsters, and when it comes to The Hangover, the focus is on humor, but it's that desperation that runs through most of the movies. The desperate desire to win or grab as much as possible in as little time as possible, and then we sit back and watch the story unfold. It's almost as exciting as playing in a casino yourself.
Also read: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Blackjack