Casino Music – Gaming’s Greatest Hits.

Well, it’s almost Christmas. If you’re reading this, you shouldn’t be. Turn the computer off and go and spend some time with your family! Or at least stick on the telly and watch The Wizard of Oz/Charlie and The Chocolate Factory/The Snowman etc etc

And if you are, well we’ll just have to try and entertain you with a “silly season” article that is vaguely related to casinos.

So let’s talk music. As Kenny Rogers once said, sage-like: “you gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em”. Assuming though that you won’t ever find yourself on a train “bound for nowhere” it’s probably best not to live by pop lyrics. The same goes for gambling; though there are some fine betting-related tracks out there, we wouldn’t recommend sitting at a casino or poker table listening to Kenny Rogers on your iPod; for one thing, you’d miss what the other players were doing. Not to mention that the pit boss will probably think you’re wired in to some blackjack card counting/roulette scam/magnetic slot” scheme.

When you think of casinos in the old days, you immediately think of the Rat Pack, Frankie, Deano and Sammy: sitting on high stools, their bow ties unfurled around their collars, drinks in hand and singing mushy songs. One of their most famous has to be “Luck Be a Lady” – an inspirational song, if not slightly strange mental image – something that any winner will be looking for when the chips are down.

Another casino favourite refers to the spiritual home of gambling: Vegas. And it’s the King himself, Elvis Presley, with his rendition of “Viva Las Vegas” that gets people hot under the (oversized) collar and itching for some action on The Strip. Elvis was once quoted as saying “Man, I really like Vegas,” and with the lifestyle he led it would’ve been difficult to disagree; apparently during his tenancy at the International Hotel he was offered £6000 in chips every day – but refused to take them due to his inherently Southern religious beliefs.

If you’re looking for something a little…well, louder, look no further than “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead. It’s harsher than that third glass of Jack Daniels and proven by medical experts to beat an alarm clock any day.

And we haven’t even got on to “You Spin Me Right Round Baby Right Round” and “The Winner Takes it All.

Wishing all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.