The 15 Best Movies About Gambling and Casinos, Ranked

An origin story of Las Vegas, Bugsy is principally a study of Bugsy Siegel, a gangster who travels to the desert, convinced he’s seen the mob’s future. Bugsy is less about gambling — although Siegel surely takes some big chances — than it is about Sin City’s messy birth, which proves fascinating, even if the movie’s glitzy, prestige-picture trappings are a bit limiting. 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. Confidential/Wonder Boys/8 Mile/In Her Shoes run with this mostly hackneyed story of a superstar poker player (Eric Bana) with a complicated relationship with his even bigger superstar poker-player father (Robert Duvall). 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. The best gambling movies offer a perfect blend of suspense, drama, and intensity, providing an unforgettable cinematic experience.

The 15 Best Movies About Gambling and Casinos, Ranked

The push-and-pull between the couple continues until Lester (a friend of McDermott’s) comes out of the slammer and is required to pay off an old debt owed to the KGB. The showdown unfolds right before your eyes, with lots of table banter and poker bluffing strategies. After suffering a severe injury, Ko Chun loses his memory and most of his mental faculties. Little Knife is responsible for the accident and takes it upon himself to help Ko Chun, who can no longer care for himself.

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• Whether it’s the thrill of the win, the agony of defeat, or the human stories behind the bets, these films capture the essence of gambling in all its forms.
• Rigging slot machines, laundering money, and crippling cheating gamblers is all in a day’s work in “Casino.”
• Watching the smartest people do the dumbest things could be enough to scare anyone away from gambling because winning is always enough until you want more.
• Set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis, “Killing Them Softly” follows a professional enforcer as he investigates the robbery of a high-stakes poker game.
• 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.
• “Hard Eight” was the debut feature film from writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson, the filmmaker behind movies like “There Will Be Blood,” “Boogie Nights,” and “Punch-Drunk Love,” amongst others.
• 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.
• 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.

The opulent world of land-based casinos has inspired filmmakers to create unforgettable movies that delve into the high-stakes drama of the gambling world. From meticulously planned heists to intense poker showdowns, these films have become a staple of cinematic culture, capturing the essence of ambition, danger, and adrenaline. The result is California Split (1974), a wonderful character study that delves deep into the dangers of gambling addiction. There’s no denying this entry as a classic of the gambling movie ilk, and although it hasn’t aged as well as some of its older counterparts, it will forever be remembered for its tangible tone and rock-solid narrative. The film holds an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it garnered $450.7 million on an $85 million budget. That’s the greatest gross differential from any gambling movie ever released, and that commercial appeal is in large part due to its star-studded cast.

The 20 Best Gambling Movies to Watch if You’re Feeling Lucky

Redford plays Johnny Hooker, a small-time con man whose partner gets killed by the dastardly Doyle Lonnegan, played by Robert Shaw. To avenge his partner’s death, Hooker teams up with the best grifter in the game, Henry Gondorff, played by Paul Newman. The pair set in motion a massive con with more twists and turns than even the highly intelligent Doyle Lonnegan can keep up with. Charlie Waters and Bill Denny are gamblers who come together through a mutual appreciation of their hobby. 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. Both men are granted lucky wins here and there, but a series of downturns and unfortunate mishaps threaten to destroy their gambling streak.

Best Gambling Movies of All Time

Little Knife’s hustling mindset kicks in once he discovers Ko Chun’s supernatural abilities, and he puts them to use as the pair dive back into high-stakes gambling. Jessica Chastain gives a phenomenal performance in the lead role, and both Idris Elba and Kevin Costner shine in supporting roles. The drama surrounding the world of gambling can suck you in with its tales of big wins, devastating losses and criminal masterminds.

• It explores the psychological toll of past trauma and the search for purpose and justice.
• The story of “Tricheurs” revolves around a talented but rebellious student from a working-class background who becomes involved with a group of students who engage in cheating and fraud to achieve academic success.
• McDermott sees inside the mind (and hand) of a diabolically stoic Russian mobster by watching how he eats Oreos.
• It’s a sobering look at the devastating effects of gambling addiction on a person’s life and career.

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She’s a psychiatrist who recently finished a book on obsessive-compulsive disorder, and one of her patients seeks help from her regarding his involvement with and debt owed to the aforementioned crime lord. This is also notable among fans today https://crazystar-casino.com/ for being the first film in its franchise to feature Daniel Craig as the titular character. He would reprise the role four times, the most recent of which — No Time to Die (2021) by Cari Joji Fukunaga — marked his last appearance in the series.

Johnny O’Clock

Directed by Robert Rossen and starring Paul Newman as “Fast Eddie” Felson, this is of course the film that sparked Scorsese and crew to create The Color of Money. And although that film was well-acclaimed in itself, The Hustler (1961) has almost gone down as a classic. Which makes sense, as lead actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford had previously worked with director George Roy Hill on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). The performers share a tangible chemistry with the filmmaker, and that dynamic pops out through the screen of every featured frame. Its story of two professional grifters who team up to con a mob boss and avenge the death of their mutual friend. And Uncut Gems (2019) as a whole made decent money in theaters — it was actually production company A24’s highest-grossing film at the time of release — on top of garnering great impressions from critics.

‘The Cincinnati Kid’

George Clooney stars as Dapper Danny Ocean, a thief who’s up to no good just hours after being released from his parole. That ragtag group of fellow thieves consists of familiar faces such as Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mack, etc. 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.

‘High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story’

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. Besides a stellar cast including The Goodfellas’ Paul Sorvino and American Gigolo’s Lauren Hutton, The Gambler is a psychological thriller masked as a gambling movie.

High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story

A film cynical in nature, the beguiling use of the spiraling roulette wheel is meant to represent the randomness and transience of life. “Win It All” is a Netflix original comedy about a small-time gambler who gets in over his head when he’s entrusted with a bag full of cash. It’s a heartfelt and humorous look at the struggles of addiction and the quest for redemption. Directed by Martin Scorsese, “Casino” is a grandiose depiction of the glitz, glamour, and corruption that defined Las Vegas in the 1970s and 80s. Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone deliver stellar performances in this epic story of a gambling empire’s rise and fall.

• Directed by John Dahl, this is the only film on the list that has gone down as a true cult classic.
• The team of highly gifted individuals is trained by a professor at MIT (although, in reality, the actual blackjack team wasn’t started by a professor) and has plenty of success in its escapades before things begin going south.
• The movie was written and produced by Joseph Walsh in what would wind up being his only feature-film credit in either capacity, though he regularly worked as an actor from the late 1940s into the 1990s.
• Once Shelly takes notice of Bernie’s changed behavior, the plotline within The Cooler blossoms into something you’ll become heavily invested in as it unfolds.
• This crime drama is set in Las Vegas during the 1970s and 1980s, and it revolves around the operations of the fictional Tangiers Casino.

Adam takes on the role of a lovable NYC jeweler who loves playing it big when it comes to betting. When he makes one of the biggest bets of his life, his world starts to cave in around him as debt collectors come calling. Uncut Gems follows Adam’s character as he looks to keep his life intact as his high-risk gambling endeavors threaten to tear it all apart. Hard Eight features three A-list actors that you might not have expected to see in a film such as this one – John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel Jackson. When a professional gambler by the name of Sydney runs into a fellow gambler named John, Sydney takes John under his wing and teaches him how to truly be successful in the world of gambling.

With a star-studded cast that includes Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Julia Roberts, Ocean’s Eleven seamlessly blends comedy, action, and clever twists. Clooney and Pitt’s chemistry is electric, and their camaraderie adds to the charm of the film. Recently, both actors made waves at the Venice Film Festival while promoting their latest collaboration, Wolfs, demonstrating that their on-screen magic continues to captivate audiences. Gambling and casinos have always been closely tied to the allure of luxury and risk, especially in iconic destinations like Las Vegas and Monte Carlo.

• The movie captures the atmosphere of the Las Vegas casino scene and provides a unique perspective on the role of luck and human relationships.
• “Win It All” is a Netflix original comedy about a small-time gambler who gets in over his head when he’s entrusted with a bag full of cash.
• Variations of poker remain the dominant focus of most of these gambling movies, but this list is also populated with movies utilizing the games of blackjack, craps, roulette, billiards, sports betting, and more.
• Within the titular “Casino Royale,” a Texas Hold ’em poker game unfolds between Bond, Le Chiffre, and several other players.
• The Hustler should be seen first as it is the predecessor to that other highly recommended gambling film.
• This thrilling and action-packed movie series showcases some great performances and highly stylized visuals that make it very worthwhile to watch.

Keep in mind that while most of these films are widely available, others can only be found in specific countries. ‘Croupier’ is a criminally underrated film that has sadly slipped down into the forgotten corners of cinema over the years. ‘Croupier’ depicts the life of a writer who takes up a job as a croupier in a casino and soon meets a woman who teams up with him and plans to rob the entire casino. The film takes a very realistic look into the casino world and is highly stylised with utmost focus on characterisation and the setting. It takes the form of a dark thriller using noir-influenced techniques and crafts a truly refreshing piece of cinema that deserves the stature of a classic. Steven Soderbergh‘s highly stylised heist drama tells the story of a group of eleven people and a gangster who are looking to rob three popular casinos in Las Vegas.

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. Caan manages to make his character, who steals from his own mother to pay his gambling debts, one that the audience can still root for. Oscar Isaac delivers a compelling performance in “The Card Counter,” portraying a gambler with a troubled past seeking redemption through a series of high-stakes poker games.

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. 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 a sense, William is spending his days in sort of afterlife, given that his former life was spent in a military prison.

• And those accolades are more indicative of the film’s actual quality than its acclaim from critics or number of tickets sold in theaters.
• California Split follows both men on their wild journey as they look to truly hit the jackpot.
• The push-and-pull between the couple continues until Lester (a friend of McDermott’s) comes out of the slammer and is required to pay off an old debt owed to the KGB.
• Matt Damon plays Mike McDermott, a reformed gambler who finds himself drawn back into the game to help a friend pay off dangerous debts.
• Of course, it’s also about British secret intelligence operatives and the undercover workings thereof.
• The movie Croupier takes a rather different take on conventional gambling films, showing another side of the industry.
• This is pretty much a gambling epic, like a sprawling western directed by Sergio Leone or Howard Hawks with Robert De Niro playing the gunslinging head of the titular location in Casino (1995).
• Hard Eight is a polished, expertly paced crime flick that began life as a 1993 short film called Cigarettes & Coffee.

Played by Jessica Chastain, Molly Bloom tries to keep her gambling empire afloat while the FBI investigates the massively illegal operation. Gambling movies are so remarkably tense for viewers because the stakes of casino games are already inherently high. Perhaps it’s not surprising then that filmmakers have returned to the well as inspiration for thrillers, dramas, and action-packed adventures over the years. 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.