The 15 Best Movies About Gambling and Casinos, Ranked

Featuring Clive Owen in the title role, Croupier is one of the most remarkable and distinctive casino films ever made. Most movies set in casinos usually present the gambling world from the gambler’s point of view. The movie that launched Clive Owens’ Hollywood career sees him playing Jack Manfred, a struggling writer who takes a job as a croupier at a London casino to make ends meet. Although initially detached from his surroundings, Jack becomes drawn into the world of gambling and the casino’s rather shady operations, and also gets involved in a love triangle. As Jack becomes more and more embroiled in the murky waters of the casino his life starts to come apart at the scene, leading to a conclusion that most viewers will not have seen coming.

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Because Raymond has the ability to count cards extremely quickly and to remember which have been played, the two end up in Las Vegas. Charlie takes Raymond to the blackjack table in hopes his card-counting gift will help Charlie win. Manfred finds himself drawn to a woman who is a gambler at his table – a serious transgression of the casino’s rules for employees. Under pressure from creditors, the woman asks Manfred to be the inside man for a robbery at his own casino.

Vinyl Lives

That said, Manfred still ends up enveloped by the gambling world, which his girlfriend isn’t overly pleased about. Axel Freed is an English professor from a family of established doctors and businessmen. However, Axel’s not quite as successful as his loved ones believe, running up huge tabs to the ire of his mafioso bookie. Jessica Chastain delivered one of the strongest, most dynamic female performances of the year as she showed how one woman stood up to the most powerful men in the world without flinching. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck take us all across the South, from Memphis to Mississippi, as they piece together bits, blues, and bumbling characters.

The Gambler

Rounders has become a cult favorite, particularly within the poker community, for its authenticity. Set in New Orleans during the Great Depression, this classic American drama tells the story of a talented young poker player who aspires to be the best in the game. He gets the opportunity to prove his skills when he challenges the reigning poker champion to a high-stakes poker game. “The Cincinnati Kid” became famous for its impressive poker scenes and powerful demonstration of the psychology behind the game. Even today, despite the movie’s age, it is considered one of the key gambling movies of the time. There are several movies that revolve around the theme of winning money at a casino, often with high-stakes gambling and big payouts as central plot elements.

Film Reviews

One of the most realistic casino movies often cited by critics and audiences is “Rounders” (1998), directed by John Dahl and starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton. “Rounders” is often praised for its authentic portrayal of the underground poker scene and the dynamics of high-stakes poker games. The film details various poker strategies, terminology, and the ups and downs of professional poker players. “Molly’s Game” is a biographical crime drama based on the memoir of the same name by Molly Bloom. The film tells the true story of Molly Bloom, a former Olympic-class skier who becomes involved in hosting high-stakes poker games for wealthy and influential players. The main themes of this movie are power, greed, and the conflict between legality and morality.

best gambling and poker movies

That’s pretty smart if you think about it, with casinos holding as much cash as a bank probably does, but also louder, busier, and easier to slip through undetected. In Croupier, Mike Hodges gives us a neo-noir take on gambling from the other side of the casino—one in which Jack Manfred (played by Clive Owen) is a dealer rather than a gambler. John Dahl’s crime-drama narrates the thrill and addiction of playing from Mike’s point of view, even if it just looks like a bunch of guys sitting around a table for hours on end. In Rounders, Matt Damon stars as a card-player-turned-law-student who’s trying to put his poker days behind him, but that proves almost impossible when Worm tornadoes back into his life. In a sense, William is spending his days in sort of afterlife, given that his former life was spent in a military prison. During those eight years, he learned to count cards while serving time for his hand in torturing and abusing Abu Ghraib prisoners (a real tragedy that surfaced in 2004).

Conclusion: Best Movies That Take Place In Casinos

And no, the list doesn’t end there, which is why we decided to share some of the all-time top-rated films with casino themes. The Sting is another multi-Academy Award winning film (bagging seven Oscars in total) that follows the story of two professional grifters, Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman). The pair concoct an elaborate scheme to avenge the murder of their mutual friend by a powerful gangster. Their convoluted plan involves creating a fake horse racing betting parlour in order to swindle the mob boss, with twists and turns aplenty along the way. Directed by Martin Scorsese, who’s rumored to be working on a biographical film about the punk band The Ramones, Casino is a gripping exploration of the rise and fall of a Las Vegas gambling empire.

Cast

Newman’s Fast Eddie Felson is like a more interesting version of Cruise’s character, and his battle to take down Jackie Gleason’s Minnesota Fats follows a more human, soulful narrative than a typical sports-movie arc. It’s better the less it is about the pool hustling … which is great, but keeps it lower on this list. An odd little comedy about a perpetual loser gambling addict (Richard Dreyfuss) who, for one day, hits on every single bet at the horse races.

The 18 Best Gambling Movies

• Spacey is particularly checked-out here, and the movie was criticized for “whitewashing” in its casting, turning the mostly Asian-American real-life players into generic white people.
• Inspired by true events, 21 tells the story of a group of MIT students who use their math skills to count cards and win millions at blackjack tables in Las Vegas.
• Part of the fun lies in trying to figure out if Segal hit it big or lost thousands, because his worrying expression never changes.
• Based on a true story of a crippling gambling addiction, screenwriter James Toback wrote The Gambler about his own problematic behavior, anger, and feelings of general desperation.

The viewers can enjoy the cat-and-mouse play between the characters who try to outsmart each other and deal with their own vulnerabilities. “House of Games” became known for its complicated and twisted plot and sharp dialogue. “Croupier” is a neo-noir drama about a struggling writer who takes a job as a croupier (dealer) at a London casino to make ends meet. The movie describes the seductive hidden side of the casino industry, the charm of chance and fate, and the adrenaline of risk-taking. “Croupier” was praised for its style and atmosphere and gives an unusual perspective on the gambling genre movies. The story of “Intacto” revolves around the concept of luck as a tangible and transferable asset.

The 50 Best Casino Movies of All Time

Like other gambling films, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas takes us into the rotten world of gamblers and drug dealers. Accompanied by his friend, the Samoan lawyer Dr. Gonzo, Hunter Thompson is headed to Las Vegas with a writing assignment to cover a motocross event for a magazine. If the answer is yes, Ocean’s Eleven is definitely one of the gambling movies you must see. Director Robert Altman must have recognised himself in the characters of Bill and Charlie, and we believe that’s what makes California Split one of the greatest https://thebescasino-login.com/ of all time. Cruise is a spoiled businessman, Charlie Babbitt, who is perplexed and annoyed by his father’s will. He makes a series of hasty decisions in what can only be called one of the best gambling movies you’ll ever watch.

The movie captures the atmosphere of the Las Vegas casino scene and provides a unique perspective on the role of luck and human relationships. It was praised for its blend of romance and drama, and it garnered several award nominations. The very first original movie shot back in 1960, Ocean’s Eleven became a foundation for the three famous movies about Ocean’s friends. This older movie showcases the meticulous planning and execution of the elaborate heist, highlighting the group’s camaraderie and the twists and turns they encounter along the way.

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Invited to attend a meetup in a remote Illinois cornfield, they are brutally beaten with baseball bats upon arriving, stripped of their clothes, and buried alive in a shallow grave. With the Mafia now out of the casino industry, nearly all the old casinos are demolished, and new casinos are built with money from junk bonds. 21 is inspired by the real-life experiences of a talented MIT math student who pursues the goal of conquering casino blackjack to score a big win. Upon being released from prison, suave thief Danny Ocean gathers the gang and heads to Las Vegas, determined to organise the greatest heist in history. The team of highly talented risk-takers concoct a mission to steal from the three biggest casinos in Las Vegas — The MGM Grand, the Mirage, and the Bellagio — all property of Terry Benedict. Like other 007 films, Casino Royale provides plenty of violence, intrigue, romance, and dirty mind tricks, all wrapped up in classic Bond style.

But the film still has its pleasures, not least of which is Gibson’s pal Jodie Foster, who has a blast playing the sort of damsel-in-distress female sidekick role she’d otherwise spent most of her career avoiding. What it does have, though, is Adam Sandler chaotically pawning Kevin Garnett’s NBA Championship Ring to place a six-way parlay on him winning the game. It gets to the point where Axel has to borrow thousands from his mother—and even bet his own life—in order to fund his gambling addiction.

Everything about the Safdie brothers’ crime-thriller is high-wire and frenzied, just like its haphazard protagonist. And, of course, being a Safdie movie, it was produced by A24, so expect a lot of visceral neon lights that illuminate its dark themes. Robert Altman exposes the grim underbelly of the Vegas scene, where cocaine, violence, and prostitution tangle with roulette tables and betting booths to destroy lives. The «color of money» just to happens to match the hue of a pool table, devouring the duo into a blinding world of green. Rupert Wyatt’s 2014 remake of The Gambler received indifferent reviews because it pales in comparison to the taut 1974 classic. Karel Reisz directed the original movie, in which James Caan’s strong central performance was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Molly’s Game (

This Best Picture winner exudes pure pleasure … well, unless you run afoul of Shaw (Paul Newman) and Kelly (Robert Redford), that is. These two con men decide to take down a no-good mobster (Robert Shaw), and their elaborate grift involves card games and horse racing. Understanding the machinations of Shaw and Kelly’s plan doesn’t matter — it’s just a delight to watch the characters (and director George Roy Hill) turn The Sting into one big, electric narrative sport. Spacey is particularly checked-out here, and the movie was criticized for “whitewashing” in its casting, turning the mostly Asian-American real-life players into generic white people. But for a brief moment, before Spacey is being kidnapped and beaten in a hotel room, it’s an interesting look at the science behind smart gambling.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (

The story follows Bond as he gets assigned to a bankrupt terrorist financier in a high-stakes poker game. The film features intense action sequences, high-stakes gambling, and a compelling storyline in the context of stylish gambling glamor. “Casino Royale” remains a popular entry in the James Bond film series due to its fresh take on the character. The story of “5 Card Stud” begins with a poker game where one of the players is caught cheating.

Mississippi Grind probably slipped under your radar, but all critics can agree it’s a hidden gem. Gambling can be an intense, life-destroying addiction that’s as far from funny as it gets. Mississippi Grind, however, features Ryan Reynolds—so, obviously, it’s going to have laughs.

This comedy-drama follows a group of struggling actors trying to navigate the dating scene in Los Angeles, seeking romantic and social success. “Swingers” captures the spirit of the 1990s and explores themes of friendship, love, and the struggles of young adulthood. Due to its relatable depiction of the era and characters, this movie was called a defining one of its time.

On their path of high-stakes poker playing, they experience various twists and unexpected obstacles. Shade received some mixed reviews and feedback from critics and the public, but it is a good movie with style and intricate card tricks. Through a series of comedic and often outlandish situations, “The Grand” offers a humorous take on the world of professional poker. Made in the heat of the now-mercifully-cooled World Series of Poker craze, the late Curtis Hanson put an immediate halt to his terrific L.A. We have seen that story a million times in a million better sports movies — this even has a Big Game at the end — but both Bana and Duvall find some truth in their characters regardless.

• “Croupier” is a neo-noir drama about a struggling writer who takes a job as a croupier (dealer) at a London casino to make ends meet.
• Although it revolves around the search for a missing groom-to-be, The Hangover still manages to be one of the best casino movies you must see.
• After being robbed by a sore card loser, Bill Denny (played by George Segal) and Charlie Waters (played by Elliott Gould) bond over their mutual, dangerous love of gambling.
• Whether you go for the original 1974 version of The Gambler or you decide to watch the contemporary remake, this cautionary tale deserves a place on your to-watch list.
• The movie feels both dated and timeless, capturing a specific moment that has the power of folklore.
• The movie follows the adventures of a charming and roguish gambler and gunslinger.
• Before they know it, the two friends are wrapped in a world of gamblers, dealers, druggies, and corrupt cops.
• One of the most famous films in this category is “21” (2008), directed by Robert Luketic and inspired by the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team.

Released in 2006, Casino Royale was Daniel Craig’s first appearance as Bond and arguably his best. The movie follows Bond as he earns his license to kill and is tasked with taking down a financier of international terrorism in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. Along the way, he falls in love with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), a treasury agent who is sent to provide the money for the game. Directed by Martin Campbell, the movie is known for its intense action sequences and stunning cinematography. In the book, a game of baccarat between Bond and Le Chiffre sorts the boys out from the men, while in the film, Texas Hold’em is the game with license to thrill. The drama story revolves around a talented poker player and law student pulled into the underground poker world.

His rival is Minnesota Fats, one of the coolest named characters in gambling film history. Based on a true story of a crippling gambling addiction, screenwriter James Toback wrote The Gambler about his own problematic behavior, anger, and feelings of general desperation. The conflict makes for a great drama, as long as you’re watching the original ’70s film with James Caan and not the hated 2014 Mark Wahlberg remake.

With Matt Damon and John Malkovich in one movie, you know the film will be worth your time. Add poker and gambling to the mix, and you’ve got Rounders helping you make the best of your weekend poker movies night. Croupier is a character study of one man as he faces temptation – which turns out to be a common theme among movies about casino gambling. Intrigue, suspense, insights, and a powerful performance by Clive Own earn Croupier a spot on our list of the best casino films.

The world of high-stakes gambling has long been an enticing playground for filmmakers, inspiring a plethora of stunning films that immerse audiences into the exhilarating casino atmosphere. These movies often feature intricate storylines, captivating characters, and thrilling twists that keep viewers on the edge of their seats. By exploring themes like obsession, addiction, deceit, and redemption, some of the top movies about gambling reveal the complex nature of human beings and the consequences of their actions. “Casino” is a 1995 American crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese, which tells the story of Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro), a gambling expert who is chosen by the mafia to run the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. As tensions rise between the casino and the mob, and the FBI starts investigating their activities, Sam and Nicky’s relationship deteriorates and turns into a combustible rivalry. No top ten of casino movies can be complete without at least one James Bond film.

Upon its release, “Ocean’s Eleven” was a commercial success and received positive reviews and love from the viewers. Loosely based on a true story, the movie tells of a married pair who exploited a fascinating flaw in a national lottery and reinvested the money they drifted off the system into their small Michigan town. This is basically a comedy about how one man brought his small community together for a common goal.

Tense, entertaining, and carried by incredible performances, Molly’s Game has everything a good crime-drama needs. Like most gamblers, Mike loses more than just his money—but that doesn’t stop him from driving towards the lights of Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. In 1982, the FBI discovers Piscano’s records, closes the Tangiers, and Green agrees to cooperate. The FBI approaches Sam for help by showing him photos of Nicky and Ginger together, but he turns them down. The Chicago bosses are arrested, get ready for trial, and arrange the murders of anyone who might testify against them. In 1983, Ginger dies of a hot dose in Los Angeles, with Sam suspecting that the bosses may have been responsible.

Casino Royale truly is a classic that you have to watch at least once in your life – especially if you are a fan of James Bond and his legendary service to the British Secret Service. Rain Man is one of the movies you must watch because it tells us a lot about the importance of family, of differences in mental astuteness, and how easily one can cross the boundaries of what is legal. When it comes to choosing the best Vegas films of all times, it would be a crime to leave Rain Man off the list. Croupier describes this distinctive world from a professional dealer’s perspective. The film relates a story about the dark side of casinos, revealing what’s on the other side of the table. Whether you like the exciting stories, the great acting, or the glamorous casino settings, “Best Casino Movies to Watch” has something for everyone.

Besides the actual twists of relationships, the movie also shows the atmosphere of the gambling world. Despite his responsible position, he secretly develops a severe gambling addiction. He steals funds from the bank to fuel his habit and begins a downward spiral of risk-taking. “Owning Mahowny” offers a gripping portrayal of the destructive power of high-stakes gambling. “Bugsy” is a biographical crime drama that tells the story of a real-life mobster’s rise to power, his involvement in organized crime, and his obsession with building the Hotel and Casino in the desert. The movie offers a mix of crime, romance, and historical drama, capturing the atmosphere of the era, and in fact, it got multiple Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

One of the most famous films in this category is “21” (2008), directed by Robert Luketic and inspired by the true story of the MIT Blackjack Team. In “21,” a group of brilliant students use their math skills to count cards and win substantial money while playing blackjack in Las Vegas casinos. Paul Newman won his only Oscar for The Color of Money, revisiting the character of Fast Eddie Felson, whom he played in 1961’s The Hustler. This isn’t one of Scorsese’s best movies — and as we said earlier, The Hustler is the better overall film — but it’s solid and despairing. Like with Scorsese’s mobsters, these are people who are magnetic but not ones you’d want to spend time with in real life.

While filming, James Caan was battling his own addiction to drugs, and he used that to suffuse his character with a raw sort of desperation. Casino follows Sam «Ace» Rothstein (De Niro), a Jewish American gambling expert handicapper who is asked by the Chicago Outfit to oversee the day-to-day casino and hotel operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. Other significant characters include Nicky Santoro (Pesci), a «made man» and friend of Sam, and Ginger McKenna (Stone), a streetwise chip hustler whom Sam marries and has a daughter with. But Mississippi Grind eventually ends up being Hollywood’s archetypal tragicomic casino movie. Axel Freed, played by James Caan in the original, heads the cast of the film as a gambler who is also an inspiring English professor and author.