His Axel makes bets simply to dig himself deeper and deeper into trouble, even arguing that, for him, the fun of betting is losing.
“What’s great about The Gambler is that the title character is less obsessed with gambling than he is with danger, even self-destruction. Movies like Owning Mahowny (2003) and The Gambler (1974) are a perfect example, although they serve less as a cautionary tale, but a reflection for problem gamblers: To be fair, Hollywood has also shown the dark side of gambling addition. From The Hustler (1961) and Martin Scorsese’s Casino (1995) to The Sting (1973) and the Ocean’s 11 franchise (2001 to 2018) it’s hard to argue that they haven’t piled on to the allure.
Hollywood has certainly played a role in glamorizing gambling.
