Entertainment

You walk into a casino and find yourself lost in a maze of flashing slot machines, Blackjack tables, exuberant Craps players, and scantily clad cocktail waitresses.

Human beings love to gamble. We’ll put our money down on spinning reels, card games, tumbling cubes of ivory, horses, dogs, sporting contests, flips of a coin – even digital representations of any of the above.

Whether you gamble online for fun or as a profession, there’s no doubt that it’s an exciting way to pass the time and make money. However, there are a number of surprises that you’d never have expected before you started playing...

The glitz and the glamour of the red carpet returns to Hollywood this Sunday, as the 88th annual Academy Awards rolls into LA. Held at the Dolby Theatre in the heart of Tinseltown, the Oscars gives the film industry its opportunity to showcase its finest talents – from actors and actresses, to make-up artists and special effects experts.

There's just something so romantic about the underdog winning isn’t there? The history of sport has thrown up some almighty upsets over the years, crowning the most unsuspecting of champions and seeing the unfancied beating the odds-on favourites.

The drama of watching Game of Thrones is almost as exhilarating as the rush of trying your hand on the casino floor.

Gambling and casinos have been a mainstay in the film industry nearly as long as the medium itself has been around. The drama and tension that naturally occurs in a gaming environment translates well to the silver screen and filmmakers have enjoyed taking advantage of these settings, even though it doesn’t always work out for the studio or viewers in the end. 

In a few weeks’ time, Britain will go to the polls to vote on whether to leave or remain in the European Union. It’s being slated as one of the biggest political occasions of the modern era, and will change the political and economic landscape of Europe regardless of how voters respond on the day.