There is almost a song about everything and the gambling scene is not in short supply of a few great hits. This post will break down the hottest songs related to the casino and gambling niche, trimming it down to just five songs from a huge pool of tunes covering a range of music eras.

5) The Gambler

Kicking off at number five we have ‘The Gambler’, created by Kenny Rodgers in 1978. It was a country hit that even won a Grammy Award! However, Johnny Cash and Bobby Bare Sr did sing versions of this song before Rodgers did. The song tells the tale of how the narrator plays cards with an elderly stranger on a train who gambles his last piece of advice for a final swig of whisky. Classic and popular poker references such as, ‘know when to fold ’em’ and ‘when the dealin’s done’ are found within the song too.

Rodgers probably didn’t foresee how the gambling industry would evolve when he conjured up this 70s classic. Since the singers’ heyday, the world of gambling has mostly shifted to the digital realm. Sites like online casino NZ can be accessed from anywhere in the world at the click of a button and offer games of every variety, including the traditional forms of poker that Rodgers sings about so endearingly.

4)Viva Las Vegas

Elvis Presley’s 1964 hit ‘Viva Las Vegas’ is renowned as being one of the world’s most popular songs related to gambling culture. In this song, the king of rock n roll hyped up the capital city of gambling as the place to be for casino lovers. ‘Bright lights of the strip’ and ‘nervous, excited energy’ are some of the song’s key phrases that portray the iconic city as such a spectacle. The song has gone down as one of Elvis’ finest and will live long in the history of casino-related music.

Ann-Margret and Elvis Presley during the filming of Viva Las Vegas, 1963 pic.twitter.com/SnJ9ofx05j

— Classic Rock In Pics (@crockpics) November 23, 2022

3) Ace of Spades

‘Ace of Spades’ (1980) will go down as one of heavy metal’s most recognisable songs. Created by Motorhead, the song depicts how a gambling advocate confesses his love for the thrill of betting – win or lose. The narrator continuously teases his opponents over the potency of his hand, particularly the ace of spades, otherwise known as ‘the death card’

2) Poker Face

This chart-topping hit by Lady Gaga is everyone’s first pick when asked to name a song about gambling or casinos. When this song was first released in 2008, it exploded onto the scene and earnt a number of Grammys and hit number one in the charts in a huge number of countries. The track is clearly about poker as she teases her opponents and takes pride in her impressive ‘poker face’. Lady Gaga flirts with the idea of gambling being thrilling and fun – with ‘a little gamblin’ is fun where you’re with me’ being a standout line of the song.

poker face by lady gaga. pic.twitter.com/OjM6aN9tZY

— songs that changed history (@iconiksongs) November 23, 2022

1) The House of the Rising Sun

In the top spot of this stacked list is ‘The House of the Rising Sun’, a masterpiece created by the Animals in 1964. There is clearly deep meaning behind this track as it can be interpreted in many different ways. There have been so many versions of this song that have proceeded the original, however, the classic cannot be beaten. The song infers how the narrator is ‘going back to New Orleans’ with a ‘suitcase and a trunk’, with the actual House potentially being a metaphor for the casino.