10 Best Casino Movies of All Time

The story of law student Mike who, surprise surprise, is a bit of a gambling addict and loses all his cash and his journey of revenge and redemption against the man who sent him broke. The characters are great, especially the just about believable villain Teddy KGB, and the poker is the right side of plausible while also being ridiculous enough to be entertaining. This is less a tale of pool and more a tale of how we deal with losses, both financial and personal. If that all sounds a bit deep then it also features some of the best pool scenes recorded on film, some top quality betting action and an effortlessly cool performance from Paul Newman in the lead role. The tale of small-time pool hustler Eddie taking on the big time is one any gambler can empathise with and it features the same mix of hope, hubris, heroics and heartbreak we’ve all experienced.

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Unforgettable gambling films offer electrifying narratives and memorable characters, reflecting the allure and rich complexity of the casino world. These cinematic achievements are just a few examples of the great films that transport viewers into the world of gambling. There are many trends affecting the Polish gambling scene and the creation of video games from movies is just an example.

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Sally Matthews (Sarandon) relocates to Atlantic City, becoming a prominent blackjack dealer. She encounters Lou Pascal (Lancaster), a mobster, who saves her & helps her achieve success but leads to trouble. In this action-packed heist film, Danny Ocean, played by George Clooney, gets a skilled group together to rob the biggest casinos in Las Vegas. The movie offers plenty of excitement and drama as one of the top casino heist movies.

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Of course, it also features Bradley Cooper, which helped establish him as a juggernaut of the industry. As a recent modern Bond film, it’s relatively easy to find a way to watch Casino Royale online. However, you can watch California Split on several streaming services. Simply tag us (@filmshortage) on a social media post with your trailer link and the hashtag #shortfilmtrailer included. Due to the popularity of bingo, it made its way into several sectors, and the entertainment industry is not an exception.

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The best gambling movies offer a perfect blend of suspense, drama, and intensity, providing an unforgettable cinematic experience. These films enchant audiences and leave lasting impressions by capturing the essence of the gambling world and its multifaceted characters. Although “Ocean’s Eleven” isn’t technically a gambling movie, it earns its spot on the list because it really feels like a gambling movie. That is to say, everything about this movie drips with elegance and glamour, coupled with high stakes, bluffing, and gambling-esque tactics. Jumping into the movie is like jumping into a casino, full of tension and excitement.

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There is action, murder attempts, kidnapping and a few perilous moments that make us all ask ourselves if we will see Mr Bond come out of this alive. If you love poker, can look past the fact that Daniel Craig knows nothing about the game, and enjoy good cinematography, Casino Royale may yet be the best movie about gambling on Netflix today. Gambling hasn’t lost its cultural vitality over decades, and the same is true for great gambling films like 1974’s The Gambler. James Cann as gambling addict Axel Freed is obsessed with the thrill of gambling, even if it ends in self-destructive losses, and director Karel Reisz depicts the downward spiral of addiction with depressing accuracy. Freed gambles with more than his and other people’s money; he gambles with his life, putting himself in dangerous situations for his sadistic enjoyment.

Of course, it’s also about British secret intelligence operatives and the undercover workings thereof.
You should check out Molly’s Game, a movie based on the true story of Molly Bloom, a high-stakes poker player.
The Mafia sends sports handicapper Sam “Ace” Rothstein to set things straight at a Vegas casino.
If any of the tickets is a winner, the person who has won the pot gets to keep the winnings.
What’s worth noting off the bat about this project is its utilization of interior monologues to emulate the neo-noir or detective style of film that screenwriter Paul Mayersburg and director Mike Hodges drew inspiration from.
If you like to play roulette online real money, you can choose an interesting movie for yourself.

‘Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians’

During the night out, one of the friends steals casino poker chips belonging to a gangster. However, they all request one of the friends who happens to be good at counting cards to help them win the money needed. It is an exhilarating ride from start to finish and definitely worth watching if you are a fan of gambling movies. The 1961 original is less concerned with a swaggering Tom Cruise–Paul Newman movie-star face-off and more focused on loyalty and integrity and ambition. 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.

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The 2001 version of the 1960 Rat Pack film ends up being a far superior rendition that features a who’s who of Hollywood A-listers. George Clooney stars as Dapper Danny Ocean, a thief who’s up to no good just hours after being released from his parole. He puts his big casino heist plan into motion alongside a top-notch crew. That ragtag group of fellow thieves consists of familiar faces such as Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mack, etc.

Top Casino Movies of All Time

We wholeheartedly recommend watching Money, Explained in its entirety as it’s a highly educative if somewhat mass culture series. The insights are nevertheless accurate and they will definitely help you not just enjoy the institution of gambling as fiction but look at the hard facts and come back to the green felt a much smarter player. This includes assaulting Ratner at his daughter’s school and kidnapping him. The scene is gutting as Ratner is stripped naked and locked up in the trunk of the Mafiosi’s car. He then has to call Dinah, his girlfriend, who comes to his rescue, but that’s hardly all.

On an annual basis, the town of Laredo, Texas becomes the epicenter for the most important poker game in the state. Five of the wealthiest men in the area come together to risk it all while an interested crowd watches them with bated breath. An ex-gambler ends up wandering into town in the midst of the big poker game and finds himself going right back to his former addiction. When things become too tough to bear for the latest addition to the game, the ex-gambler’s wife steps in to take his place and defy the odds as she takes on her wealthier opposition. A down on his luck college professor hatches a get rich quick scheme with the aid of three students of his choosing. After being banned from the casinos within Ontario and Quebec, the professor relies on his card-counting experts to take his place at those casinos and gamble their way to big money.

Paul Newman and Robert Redford play a couple of grifters who set up an elaborate ploy to scheme a crime boss out of half a million bucks. As the film unfolds, so do the layers of the scam, with the audience finally being let in on the very complicated con. Fun to watch and an Oscar darling, “The Sting” is about playing to win. Rounders is an entertaining film that will keep you engaged from start to finish. It’s also a great film for poker fans, as it offers a realistic look at the game and its players.

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It is a cautionary tale of what can happen when addiction takes over. The classic Paul Newman/Jackie Gleason tale takes us back to a time when gambling was conducted in back rooms and in this case, pool halls. While gambling has become mainstream, this was a time of hustlers, con men and shady people. This is a heist drama film directed by Wayne Kramer and starring William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Maria Bello, and Ron Livingston.

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Movies about gambling take audiences on exhilarating journeys with characters who face overwhelming odds, yet navigate through with luck, strategy, and skill.
Shelly Kaplow, the casino’s boss lady, appreciates him and his ability to keep her casino on the winning end of things.
The poker is treated with real love and there is even some genuine discussion on pre-internet poker theory, while there are some truly iconic scenes including one involving an Oreo cookie and a bizarre tell.
The Sting was a critical and popular success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1973 and winning seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
Few gambling movies portray gambling less as a talent and more as a coping mechanism, like Paul Schrader’s 2021 crime drama The Card Counter.

Based on a true story and one of the MGM casino movies, “21” portrays the thrilling account of a group of MIT students who become experts in blackjack card counting and subsequently win millions in Las Vegas. Led by an unorthodox math professor, the team navigates the high-pressure environment of blackjack, dealing with the extravagant lifestyle, the excitement of big money, and the watchful eye of casino security. When the exciting world of high-stakes gaming collides with Hollywood’s cinematic magic, the result is often unforgettable. Suspenseful movies about gambling are a unique blend of excitement and drama. From the glitzy charm of Las Vegas to nerve-racking poker games, these films transport us to a universe where luck can change in the blink of an eye. Poker extraordinaire Eric Stoner has made it his mission to become the best poker player in town.

Gambling Heists: 10 Top Casino Caper Movies

The Cincinnati Kid shows that there’s an honor to be had, even in the high-stakes world of big-money poker games. If you are a fan of old classics and gambling movies, then you were waiting for this film’s name to appear on the list. In Robert Altman’s nightmarish drama-comedy, the great Elliott Gould and George Segal invite us to a world of night casinos, booze, and loose relationships. California Spirit is a full-fledged close-up not only of gaming as a way of life but also of the American culture of money and luck.

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That’s all until he meets a cocktail waitress (Mario Bello), who appears to be Lady Luck incarnate for Bernie, but not without some twists and turns along the way. Thanks to its top-notch acting, the underdog tale elevates itself above the conventional gambling film and establishes itself as a memorable neon-neo-noir. In the purest sense this isn’t a gambling film at all, but it contains more lessons about how to win at sports betting than all all the other films on this list combined. Moneyball is the mostly-true tale of the Oakland A’s rise from zeroes to heroes in Major League Baseball in the US thanks to a radical shift in how they recruited their players. He is assisted by the gorgeous Eva Green who serves as a distraction and an aid to Mr Bond, setting up the plot for one of the best gambling movies on Netflix worth seeing.

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For those who love gambling or grew up playing pick-up basketball, it’s simply a movie you have to love and watch at least once or twice a year for the rest of your life. It’s realistic in that if that scenario played out in real life, both parties would likely feel they deserve all or a chunk of the money. Imagine handing someone two quarters and they hit a massive jackpot right in front of you. It would be difficult to refrain from asking for a portion of the winnings.

He agrees reluctantly to join the team and displaces the former leader, Fisher, who adds even more tension.
Rounders is an entertaining film that will keep you engaged from start to finish.
Led by an unorthodox math professor, the team navigates the high-pressure environment of blackjack, dealing with the extravagant lifestyle, the excitement of big money, and the watchful eye of casino security.
In this article, we explore the top 10 best casino movies of all time, providing you with cinematic gems that captivate both gambling aficionados and film lovers alike.
As one of the more well-known entries of the James Bond film franchise, Casino Royale (2006) stands out much as the most action-packed project ever made about gambling.
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.
After that, Eddie enters a high-stakes poker game to retrieve his lost money.
Charlie goes out of his way to gamble as much as he can in a bid to win the biggest payday there is alongside Bill.

Directed by Robert Altman, “California Split” follows the friendship between two gamblers played by George Segal and Elliott Gould. The film is an insightful exploration of the gambling lifestyle and the different forms it can take. In “Uncut Gems,” Adam Sandler takes on a non-comedic role to embody a character consumed by the thrill of gambling. Sandler portrays a frenzied jewelry store owner whose gambling addiction puts him in a financially difficult situation. “Molly’s Game,” one of the best movies about poker (in our humble opinion), is a compelling journey into the clandestine world of high-stakes poker, showcasing the rush and pitfalls of hosting the world’s most exhilarating casino game.

The film was directed by George Roy Hill, written by David S. Ward, and starred Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the leaders of the con artists.
Assuming you like your casino movies with a tinge of tragedy, Anderson’s debut feature, about a veteran card player and a lonely orphan, is a riveting exploration of the men who spend their lives in Vegas.
He’s up against Mads Mikkelsen, who plays an international criminal with a questionable tell, risking the funds of the exact sort of people you don’t want to be on the bad side of.
This gambling movie on Netflix is probably one of the most realistic ones as well, as card-counting systems in blackjack do exist and casinos need to be extra careful not to allow a player to take advantage of a weakness in their security.
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Sean Connery lays on the charm at the Craps table in Diamonds Are Forever.

“Ocean’s Eleven” grossed $183.4 in the U.S. and had a great reception, with an 83% rating from critics and 80% from audiences. This movie holds up well, with an 86% rating from critics and a 78% from audiences. If any of the tickets is a winner, the person who has won the pot gets to keep the winnings. Tepper looks into the wallet he found and realizes he already has a lottery https://true-fortune.us/ ticket. He volunteers the ticket but soon discovers that that is the winning ticket of a $6 million jackpot, putting him in a difficult spot. With the owner coming to retrieve the ticket, Tepper realizes that he needs to win the game not just for the sake of the owner, but also for the chance to get his Finder’s Fee for securing the ticket and the lottery ticket.

The group — Eddie, Tom, Soap, and Bacon — go after every crooked opportunity they can to earn the money, running into crazy characters, getting chased by bookies, and making many mishaps along the way. Get a closer look at this exciting figure of poker, blackjack, and rummy history. Watch how his rise in the gambling scene changed his life — for good and bad. This sultry film follows aspiring doctor Ben as he joins a team of fellow MIT students to count cards, win big at blackjack, and pay his way through med school. Led by their professor, the team travels to Vegas on the weekend, racks up the chips, and then heads back to Cambridge with loads of cash. But when security at the casinos notice Ben and his pals skirting the rules, a chase ensues.

If you put all of the James Bond films in order of best to worst received, “Casino Royale” would come in at No. 4, according to Rotten Tomatoes. This beloved franchise gave us a mature, reinvented Bond with the introduction of Daniel Craig and his excellent poker face. He goes up against Mads Mikkelsen’s character, Le Chiffre, a formidable player who finances terrorist organizations.

Let’s delve into these noteworthy mentions that deserve their moment in the spotlight. Clive Owen delivers a riveting performance in “Croupier,” portraying a struggling writer who starts working as a croupier. We get to see what gambling’s like from a dealer’s perspective while gaining insight into the manipulations, calculations, and human drama unfolding at the casino table. The film provides insight into the complexities of this underground world of power and wealth.

You might not think of The Hangover as a gambling movie, but there’s certainly a gambling component to it. Few lovers of comedy haven’t seen this 2009 flick that features a star-studded cast of characters (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Heather Graham, and Zach Galifianakis, to name a few). The film tries to balance the role of religion and gambling in the team’s lives but mainly just uses interviews and clips to tell what is a pretty extraordinary tale of pretty normal people smashing up Vegas for $$$$. It’s fascinating to see how involved the scheme is and how complex and serious a business card counting can be and the filmmakers do a great job of keeping the pace up and letting the story unfold. Blackjack remains one of the few “skill” games at the casino and one where given the right conditions and the ability to fly under the radar of the watching staff a skilled team can still beat the house.

In Dark City, he plays an underground casino owner based in Los Angeles who must deal with patrons who won’t pay their dues. Directed by the master of French crime thrillers, Jean-Pierre Melville, Bob le Flambeur, a.k.a. Bob the Gambler, is an early masterpiece. After losing it all at the casino due to a lifelong addiction, Bob decides he’s going to get the old gang back together and rob the joint—if he can only keep himself away from the tables.

The main character of Axel’s weakness for gambling ranges from betting on basketball to hot shot casino games, showing that the protagonist is entrenched too deep in his addiction to think logically.
Adam Sandler stars as a hopeless gambling addict seemingly bend on destruction so why are we on board for his crash?
A compulsive gambler falls in love with a bank clerk while on vacation in Nice in this romantic drama.
But it also had an intriguing premise, with Newman’s character now a retired pool hustler who takes a new gambler (Tom Cruise’s character, Vincent Lauria) under his wing.
Eight Men Out (1988), starring John Cusack, Christopher Lloyd, and Charlie Sheen, is an all-time classic, especially for baseball fans.
Even the promised reward of $10,000 for safekeeping the bag cannot help Garrett hold onto his word.

A calm and collected early feature from Melville, “Bob le Flambeur” practically oozes cool and anticipated the French New Wave with its innovative use of handheld camerawork and the jump cut. As far as true gambling addiction goes, James Caan’s titular character in The Gambler (1974) portrays the mental illness better than perhaps anyone in the history of the silver screen. He’ll bet good money on a poker game in Las Vegas, on a professional football championship with his friends, or on a pickup game of basketball he stumbled upon during his afternoon stroll through the park. After her career was derailed by a life-changing injury to her spine, Molly was then put in charge of an underground poker game within the Viper Room in Los Angeles. The film stars Jessica Chastain in the titular role, with supporting efforts from guys like Idris Elba and Michael Cera.

Unfortunately, He loses that stone and spends several days chasing after him and at the same time escaping from being chased by angry creditors. Sunday was Stroud’s eighth game with multiple passing touchdowns and no interceptions, tying Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson for the most by a player age 22 or younger in NFL history. “The Sting” is a 1973 American caper film set in September 1936, involving a con artist and a rookie grifter who seek revenge on a crime lord who murdered one of their partners. The film was directed by George Roy Hill, written by David S. Ward, and starred Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the leaders of the con artists. The title refers to the scams (“stings”) used by the grifters to con their mark. These films give further insight into the complex, often tense relationship between people and their wagering habits.

But he is about to spend it again when he has a medical emergency and is rushed to a hospital. The movie ends, but although it depicts a happy ending, we need to be reminded that gambling addiction and problem gambling ought to be treated seriously. Netflix is a cultural phenomenon no matter where you stand on password sharing or cheesy documentaries about Tyson Fury, a heavyweight boxer with a distinct charisma. Today, we brush this aside and take a good hard look at the best gambling movies on Netflix, bringing you some of the untold stories that you may want to explore. The debut film by Paul Thomas Anderson, Hard Eight starts off as a free-wheeling film about a casino pro (Philip Baker Hall) and his new protege (John C. Reilly), who start winning big at the casino.

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