Casinos are embedded in our culture. Everyone can recognize a pair of red dice on the craps table or a deck of cards being fanned out by a blackjack dealer. Specific casino imagery is locked in our collective consciousness, and that’s for good reason. Casinos are intertwined with the shows, movies, and stories we love.
It’s no surprise when you consider the evolution of casino gaming. A handful of states have recently legalized online casinos, bringing popular gambling games to the masses. Michigan online casinos, for example, have proven highly successful in the Great Lakes State. Other markets—New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in particular—have enjoyed years-long success in the space.
Casinos and casino games are enmeshed in our cultural orbit, and there are plenty of examples to prove it. Today, let’s look at five of the best casino and gambling moments on TV.
The Office—“Casino Night”
Michael Scott’s antics are on full display in “Casino Night,” an iconic episode of The Office. Beyond moving the “will they, won’t they” Jim and Pam storyline forward, it features a bevy of hilarious casino-themed moments.
One fan-favorite is Michael’s gusto-filled request to shuffle the cards, which then results in him mixing them all up around the table like a child might shuffle.
There’s also Kevin’s hubris in a confessional, where he explains he’s a card shark, then cuts to him promptly losing a hand to Phyllis. Creed, ever the criminal, can be seen snagging chips and wheeling and dealing his way to the night’s biggest prizes.
The glory of “Casino Night” is that it doesn’t rely too heavily on its themes. There are plenty of gambling-themed jokes and gags, sure, but the characters really drive this one home. We get a different flavor of comedy thanks to the gambling theme, but it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule—“Money”
John C. Reilly’s dolt of a character is understandably not well known. This show, nestled into the annals of the Adult Swim pantheon, is weird. Every episode, “Dr.” (he has no credentials to speak of) Steve Brule explores a single topic. In “Money,” Steve Brule talks to a card counter, hilariously mistaking gambling “chips” for potato chips.
Then, he ventures to the casino, where he fumbles with the coin-changing machine, purporting that the machine guarantees a win: “One of paper equals four of coins!” he exclaims.
Cut to Steve Brule playing blackjack and announcing he has won once a literal black Jack appears on the table, then being ejected for his behavior.
“Money” is the absurdist comedy Steve Brule is famous for, and the casino-related scenes are always good for a laugh.
The Simpsons—“$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)”
Name a topic. Literally any topic. Chances are, The Simpsons has covered it. And the show certainty; isn’t slowing down.
It’s no wonder everyone’s favorite dysfunctional family has tried their hand at gambling. In “$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling),” Springfield authorizes gambling to stimulate the local economy and bring some revenue to the town.
It’s a rare Simpsons episode in which even the typical killjoys—like Marge—approve of the city’s weird, collective idea. This results in everyone being involved in the antics that follow. Marge starts playing slots and Bart starts a casino in his treehouse, upset he can’t legally play at the new casino.
There’s a lot of betting and gambling fodder in the episode, and it resounds with the comedic absurdity only a show like The Simpsons can pull off.
How I Met Your Mother—“Atlantic City”
When Marshall and Lily decide to elope, they venture to Atlantic City. Hilarity ensues!
Perhaps the most relatable aspect of this episode is Marshall getting pulled into a game he doesn’t understand on any level. Random happenings continue to occur while he’s at the table, and Barney weirdly grasps the intricacies of the convoluted game.
It’s easy to connect with Marshall’s plight. I’ve taken friends to a casino and watched their wide-eyed wonder and confusion as I tried to explain craps. Gambling can be complex; there’s a lot of math and luck and odds involved. For the uninitiated, it can be difficult to wrap your head around. How I Met Your Mother perfectly captures that feeling in this episode.
Friends—“The One In Vegas”
This Friends double feature sees the gang head to Sin City for a weekend of debauchery.
Rachel spends much of the episode with a mustache and beard drawn on her face by Ross, a weirdly fitting storyline. In a town famous for all things weird and wacky, Rachel has to deal with her penciled-on facial hair.
The episode features a lot of classic sitcom moments, including a Vegas elopement and a big win. There’s plenty of Vegas-style fun to be had in the two-parter, making it a top contender for casino-related TV episodes.
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