If you want some ideas for magical card games such as Peter suggests occur at Casino Town, a good source of inspiration would be the book 'Last Call' by Tim Powers. Tim Powers is highly recommended as a source of non-cliched fantasy. Last Call features people playing cards for their lives unaware, and has lots of cool magical flavour. Always get out of a card game when the smoke starts spiraling into the centre of the table, and your drink begins to tilt in the glass.
Perhaps the cards at Casino Town are a God Learner adaption of the gambling heroquests of the Asrelia cult? Some God Learners discovered the basis secret of gambling for abilities etc, from the Esrolian Asrelia cult, and then retreated to a safe distance to put their discovery into practice.
Perhaps the Pharoah not only has an economic hold over Casinto Town, but 'owns' several important people there.
And I second whever mentioned Chow Yun Fat as the God of Gamblers, too. THe Pharoah incarnating a Luck god seems very appropriate.
Cheers David ------------------------------
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