Casino gambling has always been a topic of interest for directors, producers and filmmakers. After all, the entertaining, interesting and glamorous nature of gambling allows moviemakers to be extremely creative with their storylines and keep viewers hooked.
From films showing the not-so-glamorous side of casino meccas to movies that are adaptations of popular gambling-related novels, here’s a look at the best gambling movies of all time.
Casino (1995)
Directed by Martin Scorsese, Casino is widely regarded as one of the best casino gambling movies of all time. With the talented duo of Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, it explores the two sides of the Vegas strip: the wealth, glitz and glamour and the ferocious dealings that take place behind the scenes.
Sam “Ace” Rothstein (played by Robert De Niro) is the main character in the Casino movie. The Chicago outfit asks Ace to supervise the day-to-day operations of casinos in Vegas. As a result, Sam rose to power in the casino gambling industry. His structured life is shattered, however, when Nicky returns and complicates things.
Casino Royale (2006)
Based on the popular 1953 novel Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, Casino Royale stars Daniel Craig, Eva Green, and Mads Mikkelsen in the lead roles. The movie starts with the introduction of Le Chiffre, who is a private banker to highly dangerous terrorists. Chiffre needs to get a significant amount of money in order to save himself from the deadly assassins. So, he goes on to play a Texas Hold’em game in Balkan.
James Bond also needs to play poker at the same time. And Bond’s intention for playing it is to stop Chiffre from taking away all the money. Here, Bond must use his superior poker skills to ensure that the world keeps functioning in its normal order. Casino Royale shows the importance of making calculated bets when gambling at a land-based casino or mobile casino online.
21 (2008)
Inspired by real-life events, 21 is based on one of the best-selling casino books by Ben Mezrich. The film is directed by Robert Luketic and has Kevin Spacey, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Jim Sturgess as its main characters. The story revolves around Ben Campbell, a mathematics major from the prestigious MIT.
Campbell wants to study medicine. Consequently, he applies to Harvard Medical School (HMS) and is accepted. But he is unable to afford the huge tuition fee of HMS. Aware of Campbell’s situation and mathematical acumen, his math professor asks him to be a part of a group of other math geniuses. The group then heads to Vegas City, where they make fortunes by using advantage gambling techniques in Blackjack games.
Croupier (1998)
Directed by Mike Hodges, Croupier is one of the few cult classics that were made in the UK. It goes on to tell the story of Jack Manfred, who is an aspiring but struggling writer. To support his expenses, Jack takes the job of a croupier at a local gambling venue.
But Manfred finds himself drawn into the sordid gambling lifestyle. He gets involved in illicit dealings, leading to several complications in his life. A unique thing about this film is that it shows a gambling world that’s completely different from the safe and secure nature of online casino sites.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
An adaptation of Hunter Thompson’s 1971 novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is a classic movie that was directed by British filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Raoul Duke (Johnny Deep) has the task of covering a popular sporting event on the Vegas strip. And he is accompanied on his journey by his crazy lawyer, Dr Gonzo.
The duo has been given a significant amount to cover the competition. However, they spend all their money on psychedelic thrills. The movie details the “seedy” side of a gambling mecca, where they encounter problems they never thought about.
Other popular casino gambling movies listed
Besides these, here are some other casino gambling movies that are worth watching:
- Molly’s Game (2017)
- Rounders (1998)
- The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
- Rain Man (1988)
- The Hustler (1961)
- Rain Man (1988)
- Mississippi Grind (2015)
- Hard Eight (1996)