The Worst Gambling-Themed Shows in TV History

We all know the casinos as a great source of entertainment that have an established place in many cultures across the world – both real and virtual ones. You can check out the pros and cons of internet casinos yourself! However, it might be a little tough to carry the gambling theme over to the screen. And some attempts have ended incomplete failure. Perhaps you never even heard of them before, but here they are, lost in history.

Caesar’s Challenge

This barely remembered show aired on NBC from the Caesar’s Palace (Las Vegas) and was all about solving anagrams mixed with some trivia. Three players competed in guessing jumbled words that were displayed on a big slot machine. It wasn’t for long, however, because after six months, the show got canceled.

American Casino

Originally broadcasted by the Discovery Channel, this reality show captured the daily life of employees and managers at the Green Valley Ranch Casino resort in Henderson, just outside of Las Vegas. But it couldn’t find the audience. After a year, it was moved to the Travel Channel before getting cancelled for good.

The Casino

Despite the failure of American Casino, gambling still remained fertile ground for reality shows. In 2004, Emmy-winning “Survivor” producer Mark Burnett joined the game. The new unscripted drama that aired on FOX attempted to provide a unique behind-the-scenes look at the real-life drama unfolding in the Golden Nugget hotel and casino in Las Vegas. However, the show had disastrous ratings and was pulled off schedule before its final episodes had a chance to be broadcasted, along with several other shows of the same author.

Blansky’s Beauties

Aired on ABC back in the 70s, this situational comedy took place in Las Vegas, where Nancy Blansky staged showgirl production numbers at the Oasis Hotel all while acting as a den mother to them. The show was actually related to “Happy Days” (at the end of its anniversary episode, Blansky appeared for the first time). After the end of the thirteenth episode, it was pulled from the schedule.

Father of the Pride

The plot revolved around a family of white lions from a Las Vegas zoo who were starring in a real Siegfried & Roy show. After the great success of its pilot episode, gathering 12.3 million viewers, the ratings showed a rapid fall.The series was expected to be better and received a lot of negative responses from TV critics. In the end, despite the big promotional campaign, the show got canceled right after NBC finished broadcasting the first season.

Not every show is fated to become a hit. N matter how great the idea might be, if it fails to find its audience, it won’t last for long, because only the most popular can survive under the sun in the world of TV.