The Origins of Memes
Memes have become such a ubiquitous part of our casual experience on the internet that few people ever seem to stop and contemplate exactly where it is that they originated from. First coined by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, ‘memes’ originally referred to an idea, behaviour, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture.
Often it was the case that these memes would be a means of replicating information and communicating a message about a particular occurrence, event, or theme. Although these days, largely in part due to the internet, memes are typically screenshots or animated images that reference specific moments from pop cultureor world events.
The direct rise of memes and their unfathomable popularity on the internet can be traced back to the early 1990s. We feel that it’s worth pointing out to any of our younger readers, that internet access at home became much more commonplace in the mid-2000s with advancements in ISP technologies.
Nevertheless, it was truly a decade or so later that the widespread presence and prevalence of meme culture really hit its stride, thanks to the influence of websites such as 9gag, Imgur, Facebook, and Twitter. Today, they are often used as a form of social commentary and comic relief from the more bizarre, monotonous, and frightening aspects of our collective lives on this blue-green marble.
Gambling and Meme Culture
To reiterate, the popularity of memes doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as a great shock to the system to discover that the gambling industry has carved out its own slice of niche meme humor, so much so that many of the newest online casinos and betting sites regularly feature memes as amusing advertisements. After all, who doesn’t like memes?
As Louis Armstrong famously sang, ‘when you smile, the whole world smiles with you’, and with the exhilarating highs and devastating lows that come with high-stake betting, gamblers of all people can certainly benefit from a good laugh when the pressure is high.
Coupled with the fact that gambling itself is growing in mainstream popularity, it’s not such a huge leap of the imagination to see why this unique 21st-century method of social commentary would have such a colossal crossover appeal to the worlds of betting.
The Best Gambling Memes: Our Top Picks
In preparation for this article, our research team with a fine-tooth comb to find the funniest gambling memes dedicated to the ever-evolving culture of gambling. As Dawkin’s theory predicates, memes are cultural artefacts that can be used to weave together closely-knit groups, and this is exactly what great gambling memes can achieve.
Before we begin, our seven best gambling memes selections are largely taken from movies and TV shows that are responsible for a plethora of iconic moments. These memes are highly adored as they can be applied to a whole host of gambling situations. Let’s dive in!
Aand it’s Gone (South Park)
Beloved by millions around the world for its crude humour and uncompromising satire, South Park is no stranger to controversy, and has inspired innumerable memes that can be applied to all aspects of life.
The context of this particular meme is this; Stan’s father takes him to a bank to educate him about the value of investing money, and as soon as he hands the money over to the bank, the bank employee says ‘Aaand it’s gone’, much to Stan’s shock and disbelief.
We can easily see the charm of this meme for many gamblers. Regardless of if you’re betting online or in local, land-based casino, it’s critical to your success that you manage your bankroll smartly. However, we all of all people know the temptation to keep betting on a losing streak in the hopes that Lady Luck will soon appear.
We wholeheartedly recommend that you set aside a playing budget before betting and be disciplined with sticking to it, especially when it comes to betting with money you can afford to lose!
It’s Not Gambling When You Know You’re Going to Win (The Hangover)
Our second entry features a joke from the insanely popular 2008 comedy ‘The Hangover’. If you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade or so and haven’t seen it, the plot of the film follows four friends who decide to visit Las Vegas as a bachelor party. Without giving too much away, this motley crew wakes up the next day with staggering hangovers only to discover that the groom-to-be is missing.
After a series of comical mishaps, the remaining crew momentarily head to a casino in a desperate bid to get some cash together, which prompts one of the most iconic lines in the entire movie, ‘It’s not gambling when you know you’re going to win.’’ Fortune, as they say, favours the brave!
Silver Surfers
The past year has been a lot harsher to the older members of society and through all of these trials and tribulations, the internet became a real lifesaver to many of our older citizens. Not only could they keep in touch with their families or make orders, but they also were able to discover new forms of online entertainment.
Despite this, many readers may already be aware of how the older generation can be technologically challenged, which is probably the original inspiration for this particular meme genre. These kind of memes primarily feature the elderly discovering that they can in fact play bingo or slot machines online, much to their adorable awe and amazement.
Anyone who’s ever experienced the frustration of trying to solve an elderly relative’s computer problems over the phone will no doubt find these great-humoured grandparent memes particularly chucklesome.
Casino Royale
Although James Bond is no stranger to casinos, the 2006 film ‘Casino Royale’ became not just one of the strongest films in the Bond canon, but also one of the most popular poker movies ever. The plot of the film follows 007 throughout his assignment of stopping a frightening foe and mob banker Le Chiffre. A lot of the plot’s tension involved long scenes of the two duelling in incredibly dramatic high-stakes poker games.
The film spawned two remarkable gambling memes in particular. The first format involves photo-shopped screenshots from the film that involve Bond and the villainous Le Chiffre battling it out on a variety of games other than poker, such as Hungry Hippos, UNO, or Monopoly.
The second gambling meme references a plot point in which Bond is poisoned during a high-stakes game of poker and is forced to use a defibrillator in his car to save his own life. Much to Le Chiffre’s shock, Bond returns completely fine and seemingly unscathed, to which he excuses himself with the epic line, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, that last hand nearly killed me’’.
Detective Pikachu
The seemingly immortal legacy and appeal of Pokémon was in full force in the 2019 box-office smash Detective Pikachu, which saw the cherished yellow character try his hand at detective work. Throughout the film, Pikachu becomes addicted to caffeine, and once confronted about how much he consumes, retorts with the brilliant line “I can stop whenever I want. These are just choices.”
It’s easy to see while these works in the grand schemes of gambling memes, it’s a funny nod to how we often shrug off harmful aspects of our favourite behaviours. However, we would like to stress the importance of keeping a check on your gambling behaviours every once and a while.
We can’t stress enough that you should never be afraid to get the support you need if you find gambling is taking a serious toll on your wellbeing.
It’s Just a Hobby (Michael Jordan)
Renowned as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan has remained a household name for decades. Like many highly paid athletes, he was famously fond and outspoke of his love for betting at the poker table, or on high-profile golf games, at a time when the subject of gambling was somewhat taboo.
“I can stop gambling,” Michael Jordan said in a 1993 interview. “I have a competition problem, a competitive problem.” In another 1993 interview with Ahmad Rashad, Jordan described his gambling as “just a hobby’’. His overall tongue-in-cheek expression to this particular question gave birth to a fantastically funny gambling meme several years later.
Willy Wonka Condescending Dealer Memes
Our final candidate for the funniest gambling memes has to be the inimitable Willy Wonka gambling memes that feature the legendary Gene Wilder. One of the most popular meme formats ever, this meme often tackles just how frustrated blamers on a losing streak can blame the dealers.
Often confined to casino protocols on customer service, unfortunate dealers have to grin and bear it sometimes, which is why this meme resonates with casino workers in particular. We’ve covered just how demanding being a casino dealer can be, in case you’d like to learn more. Be kind out there, we’re all just doing our best!
Final Thoughts
We hope that despite whatever life is currently throwing at you, that this article brought you some laughter which, as they say, is the best medicine of all! If you’d like to read all about exciting games that and enticing pay-outs, be sure to check out some of our latest in-depth guides and articles which tackle all things wonderful in the wide world of gambling. Best of luck out there!
