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

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. “He had to stop gambling,” Scorsese said in Conversations With Scorsese. 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.

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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. To make matters worse, production took place during Typhoon Hato in 2017, which resulted in half of the crew being stuck in Zhuhai. Macao is featured in all three films to varying degrees, with many of the casino scenes having been shot at the Venetian. In the third film, the opening wedding scene takes place at Studio City.

Summary of the Best Gambling Movies

It’s not just a movie about gambling; it’s a story of regret, penance, and the search for forgiveness. The film takes viewers through the dark underbelly of the casino world, depicting the devastating aftermath of the gamble. “The Gambler” presents a haunting exploration of addiction that strips away the bright lights and glamor from a poker game.

• Bugsy creates an opulent hotel and casino in the middle of the Nevada desert and popularizes Vegas as a romantic visionary and psychotic killer.
• Jackie Chan is no stranger to Macao, having shot in the city’s historic sites several times in the past for projects such as Project A (1983) and Miracles (1989).
• Hollywood and television have a rich history of using gambling and casinos in their productions.
• It follows the story of two poker players as they circle each other looking for an opening or a tell.
• Somehow director William Dieterle fits a romantic ending into a gambling film where lives are lost just as easily as money is.

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It’s set during The Great Depression, and chronicles The Kid’s journey as he challenges a veteran card player in Lancey “The Man” Howard — played by Edward G. Robinson. The script brims with wit until the final hand is dealt, and the poker players themselves are portrayed wonderfully by each respective performer. Along with The Hangover and a select couple of others, Ocean’s Eleven (2001) by Steven Soderbergh is one of the most popular gambling movies ever made. Sure, it’s a heist film as well, but the featured location of said robbery is of course a Las Vegas casino. Directed by John Dahl, this is the only film on the list that has gone down as a true cult classic. It received lukewarm responses from critics upon release, and didn’t even double its $12 million budget when playing in theaters throughout the world.

• Based on a true story with some embellishments it tells of the exploits of a gang of card counters.
• Campbell quickly finds out that by counting cards he can win hundreds of thousands of dollars – enough to pursue his medical studies and not have to worry about the money coming in.
• Directed by Robert Altman, “California Split” follows the friendship between two gamblers played by George Segal and Elliott Gould.
• Embarking on a hazardous and devastating financial journey, Garrett begins to gamble the money, never really caring about how much is in the bag but taking money out of the bag in increments – usually $500.
• It’s probably been a few years since I’ve seen The Cincinnati Kid, a while since I’ve seen it for maybe the fiftieth time.
• Though not a traditional gambling film, Ocean’s Eleven is a favorite casino movie.

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Clive Owen has been such a familiar, somewhat disappointing, presence in films for the last two decades that it’s now hard to remember what a lightning bolt his arrival was. So go back and rewatch Croupier, where all that promise was laid out fairly magnificently. He’s Jack, an aspiring novelist desperate for money — soon, he’s a croupier getting to know the world of casino gambling. Pitched like a hard-boiler noir — Jack has the blasé seen-it-all vibe of a private dick — Croupier explores the sweaty anxiety and crippling sadness of those who have thrown their lives (and money) away at the tables. If the plot complications aren’t always satisfying, the film’s vivid recreation of dingy casino life is utterly intoxicating. It’s a shame that Owen has rarely found a film since that’s so magnetic.

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This film is shot beautifully and really captures the glamour of casinos back then. Going to a casino then was a reason to dress up and the suits and dresses in the movie show the lifestyle being lived by some of the gamblers or at least the lifestyle they aspired to. This is one of the most popular gambling movies on Netflix that you should watch. There is nothing that can describe the real experience or show risky and thrilling gambling can be like movies. You can find many https://true-fortune.us/ on Netflix that are worth watching for educational purposes and entertainment as well.

Category:Films about gambling

Another pool-based good gambling film about casinos is The Color of Money. 1986 American drama directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Helen Shaver & Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. It is a sequel to the 1961 movie ‘The Hustler’ with a 7/10 rating on IMDb and 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. Following Fast, Eddie Felson, a former pool hustler, decides to admit a pupil & return after retirement. He encounters Vincent Lauria, a talented & green player, proposing a partnership. Casino depicts the epic story of the traditional casino gambling culture in Las Vegas.

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However, Axel seems discontent with his safe existence, and gambling increasingly consumes him. The film illustrates how gambling addiction can affect those around you as Axel ends up borrowing money from friends and, eventually, loan sharks. It addresses the ethical issues of gambling, its potential as a broader societal problem, and how difficult it is to escape addiction.

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All of these movies have great reviews from the so-called movie experts/critics and from most people who have taken the time to watch them. You can read the reviews to see which ones you might like to try first on several notable movie review websites, such as Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, Roger Ebert, and the Internet Movie Database (IMDB). Over the past several decades, Hollywood studios have produced a fantastic selection of movies depicting the main protagonists playing in casinos. Should you end up enchanted with the game of poker through the movie, make sure to check out our expert selection of 1 euro online casinos where you can indulge in your favourite game by depositing as little as 1 euro.

ATLANTIC CITY (

Oscar Isaac (Star Wars, Dune) stars as ‹William Tell›, an ex-con who is a seasoned card counting blackjack player, and on a one-man tour of US casinos looking for his next payday. Trouble soon comes calling in the form of the FBI, as the players at her New York game start to include Russian Mafia characters and fraudulent investors, and Molly becomes addicted to drugs to maintain her high-pressure lifestyle. Heavy on the drama and tension, this Academy Award-nominated film is worth a couple of hours of anyone’s time. There are countless movies that are centred entirely around casino gambling or have entire scenes dedicated to playing slots, blackjack, craps, roulette, and baccarat. It’s pretty cool seeing the mix, from old-school vibes to the new high-stakes dramas.

Atlantic City (

In doing this, it promotes gambling safety, and that’s something that should be celebrated. Maverick is a 1994 Western comedy film starring Mel Gibson, directed by Richard Donner, gaining a 7/10 IMDb rating and 68% Rotten Tomatoes. As in other best casino films about gambling, Maverick explores Bret Maverick, a gambler requiring money to join a poker tournament. Based on a 1950s television series created by Roy Huggins, earning a box office of $183,000,000. I didn’t do any of my tells.’ To which Maverick replied, ‘You held your breath. Croupier is one of the best casino movies of all time, featuring Clive Owen starring Jack Manfred, an unlucky writer.

• Part of the fun lies in trying to figure out if Segal hit it big or lost thousands, because his worrying expression never changes.
• Among other things, visitors will find a daily dose of articles with the latest poker news, live reporting from tournaments, exclusive videos, podcasts, reviews and bonuses and so much more.
• Like most gambling films, this one includes a big win for the protagonists.
• Steve McQueen delivers a stellar performance as an up-and-coming poker player seeking to establish his reputation by challenging a seasoned pro.
• When Phillip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Samuel L. Jackson, and Paul Thomas Anderson are on the table, it’s a Royal Flush.
• This debut picture from writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson is noteworthy not only for its tight and pristine storytelling but also for its performances.
• The incredible casino scene that captures many arises when two players bet $ on one roll of dice in a high–stakes game.

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. Led by their professor, The Last Casino follows Professor Barnes as he puts together a team of students to pull off an epic live casino takedown. The math geniuses battle with trying to win big while battling the pressures brought on by Barnes, who fights his own demons in a compulsive gambling addiction.

The Color of Money

The two instantly become friends and come up with an idea to try their luck in all the major cities along the Mississippi River. They will play until they win a high-stakes poker game at a casino in New Orleans. The Gambler tells a powerful story about the ferociousness of addiction as well as alienation and all the temptations a person can be overwhelmed with when facing very high stakes. Both James Caan and Mark Wahlberg in the 2014 remake managed to breathe life into one of the most famous gamblers in movies. One of the best gambling movies of all time, 21 is a must-see for anyone who is curious about blackjack and card counting. 21 was a major success at the box office, the top-grossing film in North America for the first two weekends after it was released.

What Are the Best Movies About Casinos?

But it’s fun, light-hearted and full of gambling, so it earns its spot. Most gambling movies focus on the casino’s glamor and excitement, but what about the unsung heroes that work the tables? Clive Owen plays Jack, a writer-turned-croupier who gets caught up in the underbelly of the gambling world. Between infidelity and deceit, his aspirations as a writer and his involvement in a robbery, his life as a croupier is way more complicated than he’d anticipated. With is faithful representation of the casino vibe and neo-noir style; “Croupier” paints an accurate picture of life on both sides of the table.

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Starring an ensemble cast of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Andy Garcia, Elliott Gould, Casey Affleck, Don Cheadle, and Carl Reiner, the gang comes together to pull off the biggest Vegas heists of all time. There’s nothing the casino can do if someone’s playing hot and winning a lot of money—unless they send in «The Cooler,» anyway. Played with a timid, nervous energy by William H. Macy, «The Cooler» is naturally unlucky, and he works for the casino by jinxing players and spreading his misfortune. The main characters in these films are upping the ante by risking their lives on the big score, falling into debt or addiction—or trying to game the system. Sometimes, they’re running underworld operations; sometimes those involved are super spies.

HIGH ROLLER: THE STU UNGAR STORY (