The World’s First ‘Food Casino’ Lets Gamblers Bet With Burgers

Sweet nostalgia! Always there to remind us of a simpler, better time when the world didn’t seem like it was falling apart at the seams.

One of the decades most romanticized for its good, clean, innocent fun is the 1950s. Even though it was the height of the Cold War and there was a constant threat of nuclear annihilation that makes even current-day bad guys seem kind of tame, modern humans seem to find comfort in pretending like it was the era of burgers, shakes, and women’s oppression.

This sentiment also seems to be the inspiration behind a past pop-up at The Diner in London, called “Raise the Steaks,” a 1950s-themed party fuelled by gambling, burgers, and puns.

Participants all got a free burger and “chips” with which they could gamble and win even more food with. Not casino chips, but actual French fries, or what the Brits refer to as potato “chips.”

To be fair, this past event, which took place in 2015, wasn’t all about celebrating the past. It was also a promotional event to launch a new, 1950s-inspired real gambling site called 777.

“777 is all about combining the good ol’ times of the 50s with the fun and thrills of a casino,” organizer Sivan Finn Shalev said in a press release. “There’s no better 50s icon than The Diner, and what could be better than combining an ‘all American’ food experience with the fun of classic casino games.”

The rules was pretty straightforward and like more traditional gambling houses, “gamblers” who’ve lost all of their currency will be able to buy back.

“Food is the currency and guests will bet with chips (actual chips) to try to win milkshakes, sides, and even steaks from the menu. Guests who run low on chips, either through hunger or unlucky bets, will be able to buy back in for a £5 donation to Cancer Research UK.”

Between throwing “chips” on the roulette table, having a Blackjack milkshake, and going all-in at the “Double or Muffin” dessert round, there was clearly no shortage of post-war American food and dad jokes at the food-themed casino event.