The act of betting is often depicted in many different types of art. Gambling has become so popular over the centuries that it is now an essential part of global culture. This explains its regular appearances in visual art forms. Both classic and more modern art forms utilise betting as a key theme.
Betting in Films
Films that take place in Las Vegas will tend to include betting as a theme. The genres can range from dark crime dramas to lighthearted comedies. In the Martin Scorsese film Casino, Robert De Niro plays a gangster who runs a gambling establishment. The drama Rain Man is about a car salesman who goes on a road trip with his recently discovered brother. Together they hit the Vegas casinos.
In National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation, the Griswold family also spend the majority of the film’s running time engaging in different forms of gambling. They eventually win a big lottery jackpot. The first movie in the Hangover series also takes place in this city. The main characters are shown using the casinos at the start of the film.
Betting in Television
Betting shows can be seen on UK television screens every week. Some are fictional programmes, whereas others are shows where the audience can place their own bets. In terms of fictional depictions, gambling is sometimes a theme of soap operas. Characters are seen either winning or losing bets, and this will affect the overall story. Imported TV programmes from America tend to depict betting more than their UK counterparts.
When it comes to non-fiction, real-life gambling shows the UK has several to choose from. They are usually played late at night to discourage young people from gambling. However, sports that are popular in the betting industry can be seen on-screen throughout the day. This can include horse racing, football, cricket and rugby.
Betting Site Design
Betting sites themselves have to be artistic to appeal to players. The designers of these websites need to strike a good balance between aesthetic and function. Professional, modern betting games look colourful and enticing. They tend to be made by people with excellent graphic design skills. It is also increasingly common to see animation elements on the sites.
When people access high-quality sites such as Unibet Ireland, it becomes clear that art plays a big role in their creation. The creator of such sites need to consider several artistic elements. This can include the colour scheme, overall design theme, audio and the inclusion of animated features. At the same time, it needs to function in an effective, convenient and user-friendly manner.
Betting in Video Games
Sometimes people like to practice their betting in a non-committal way before they use their own money for real. In these situations, they can utilise video games that have gambling in them. This could include virtual horse racing games. The horses, jockeys and tracks will be animated depictions rather than video footage of the real thing. This gives the game designers a greater amount of artistic and creative freedom.
They do not always have to be depictions of the real world. They could take place in fantastical science fiction or fantasy worlds. Examples of this include video games in the Star Wars and Elder Scrolls franchises. Other times the betting might be a mini-game rather than the main part of the title. This is the case for Grand Theft Auto games, where players can enter virtual betting shops and place wagers on horses.
Betting in Paintings
Painting is one of the world’s oldest and most revered forms of art. It has been around for centuries. So too has the act of gambling. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that betting activities have on occasion been the central theme of paintings. In the mid-1600s Joueurs se Querellante created a piece depicting a group of gamblers having an argument.
300 years later Dogs Playing Poker, one of the most famous paintings of this time, was finished by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. It still stands as perhaps the most iconic of all paintings depicting betting. This activity can be seen in paintings of many different styles, including impressionism, modernism and cubism. Why not take a look.
Betting Photography
Photography is a much more recent art form, at least compared to painting. Despite this, since the early 19th century there have been countless photographs taken of gamblers. Some of the most famous ones were taken in American gambling establishments during the time of the Old West.
Fast-forwarding to modern-day, anyone can take a picture of people betting. This is due to the much greater availability and affordability of camera hardware. Digital editing software allows people to add artistic filters to their pictures. However, they must make sure that they are allowed permission to snap photos in the betting businesses.