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Oftentimes, gambling in cinema looks glamorous and alluring, appealing to viewers with its air of flamboyance. Of course, this can foster expectations (rather unrealistic ones, at that) in the audience for what gambling may look like in real life. It is no secret that Hollywood tends to present over-dramatised and glamorised versions of reality, which do not correlate with everyday life. While real-life gambling is still fun, it is vastly different from the representations shown on the big screen, which can significantly impact our understanding of the activity.
Cinematic portrayals of punting usually take a more dramatic approach, and the game is about more than just winning for gains. Even with high stakes, an illusion of instant gratification is created wherein the main character (or person gambling) usually achieves an impossible win. In James Bond installments, we get to see the spy try his hand at Poker and Baccarat whereas in Ocean’s Eleven and the Hangover franchise we get sucked into a casino environment. Overall, there are flashing lights, people in beautiful clothing, tension, and one big score to tie it all together.
However, real-life gambling pivots away from the theatrics of cinematic punting and has a much slower pace. For example, with iGaming, punters play for fun (instead of a life-changing prize) and heavily depend on luck to win. According to CasinoBeats gambling expert, Wilna van Wyk, online casinos not part of the self-exclusion network in the UK (Non GamStop) offer players thrilling games and generous bonuses. However, will it offer you a cinematic experience akin to your favourite movie? Probably not.
Even more, real-life punters have to be concerned with game mechanics such as the house edge and actually hone in on their gambling skills. Usually, the characters in a film will either have an endless lucky streak or just be supernaturally talented in punting. To further dramatise this activity, the standard representation of a character gambling can only fall into one extreme. They are either presented as a person who is down on their luck and somehow manages to secure a life-changing win. The other end of the spectrum shows the character as a gambling or people-reading genius who has no issue winning any casino game they play.
This approach is tied to emotional highs and lows, offering audiences a potential redemption arc or gratifying scene to create a connection. In real life, however, it is nearly impossible to win such a life-changing sum of money, which can make for a depressing watch-through. Some films tend to present the transition from being ‘not well off’ to ‘making it in life’ as a montage, but this is a much longer, tougher journey in reality. Additionally, losses are real even for punters considered geniuses at their respective casino games. Cinema often makes the idea of a loss when gambling seem unrealistic, which creates an unhealthy expectation in new players.
A good example of films that push this trend would be 21 and Maverick, wherein punters somehow defy mathematical odds and chance with their playing style. Albeit entertaining to see their intricate card techniques and gasp at their almost psychic intuition, this is not how such a scene would play out in a real casino. To make matters worse, many films lean into the trope of romanticising cheating while gambling, portraying it as something clever or elaborate. Of course, that’s not to say there are no good portrayals of gambling in much of the media we consume daily.
Films such as Goodfellas, Casino Royale, and High Roller somewhat encapsulate the real feel of a casino setting and help teach good casino etiquette. This helps teach the fundamental role of probability in punting and showcases the importance of having actual skill before playing high-stakes rounds. However, these films still exaggerate real life, wherein the average player does not consistently beat the system due to extensive plot armour. In a nutshell, real-life gambling is much less high-stakes and fast-paced than portrayed in film. Instead, punters need patience, effort, and some level of skill and understanding to succeed.