Causal
strong strength
Narrative Connection
How these two moments in the story relate
Why These Connect
The narrative assertion
"Data’s winning streak and accumulation of plaques creates the necessary momentum and props (the money) for Riker’s final act: declaring ownership, which only becomes credible and narratively possible because the money was amassed under the hotel’s own rules."
About Causal Connections
A directly causes B. The first event sets forces in motion that produce the second. These are the load-bearing connections of plot--remove one and the story structure collapses.