A Look at the Best Gambling Movies Ever Made

Casino

Martin Scorsese’s Casino is an all-time classic gambling movie, starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. The 1995 movie was the fifth time in which the trio had teamed up, coming only 5 years after the gangster movie Goodfellas.

Casino is set in Las Vegas and is loosely based on real events that happened during the final years of gangster control in the city. It tells the tale of how greed, power, money and murder were a reality back in the booming years of gangster Vegas.

For any fans of gambling movies, Casino is certainly a movie you can’t miss. Although, upon viewing, you will not see any blackjack strategies, royal flushes or odds-fixing. In fact, there isn’t a single gambling scene in the movie. However, the reason why Casino is the ultimate gambling movie is because it is the glue that holds all the genres together. If you want to know what gambling in Las Vegas looked like back in the peak-gangster years, there is no better film to watch than Scorsese’s masterpiece, Casino.

Rain Man

For a more hands-on gambling movie, you might want to check out Rain Man. The 1988 Barry Levinson film starred a young Tom Cruise and talented Dustin Hoffman, acting the role of a socially challenged individual who was a genius at counting cards. The main action in Rain Man takes place in Las Vegas, with the movie claiming four Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director acclaims.

As most seasoned players already know, the best game to use card counting strategies is blackjack. The reason why Rain Man is one of the best gambling movies you will ever see is that it shows how card counting can be used in casinos and beat the dealer. In addition, it displays a fair reflection of how casinos deal with card counting professionals, especially back in the 1980s. The movie is both a gambling classic and also a heartfelt story, with several scenes likely to bring you close to tears.

21

Similarly, 21 is another movie in which card counting strategies are used in blackjack. The movie is based on the true story of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, a group of four MIT students that used mathematics to develop basic blackjack strategy.

In the movie, however, there are six students and a teacher, played by Kevin Spacey, who organizes the team. The actual Horsemen of the Apocalypse played in Las Vegas, among other casinos, back in the 1950s. The movie uses the same concept but is set in the modern era, displaying how a team of youngsters took Vegas by storm.

In 21, the six young MIT students are challenged with living two lives, their university and modest lifestyle compared to their lavish and rewarding lives in Las Vegas. It displays acts of trickery, deceitfulness and is another reflection of how casinos try to stamp out any card counting strategies that improves a player’s chance against the house.

The Gambler

In 1974, The Gambler was released to the public eye displaying the story of how a university professor deals with their addiction to casino gambling. Played by James Caan, The Gambler shows the dark side of gambling and how it can lead to self-destruction and play on any individual’s mental state.

The Gambler is one of the best gambling movies of all time because it shows just how dangerous gambling addiction is. In the movie, Caan acts as an educated individual who just can’t seem to give up his passion of living on the edge and winning money in a casino. However, once he starts to pile on debt, the gambler runs into a spot of bother with casinos and dangerous people. We can guarantee that if you take the time to watch this classic, you will be kept on the edge of your seat for the entire viewing. Make sure to see the original 1974 movie, as the 2014 re-make of the film, starring Mark Wahlberg is nowhere near as thrilling or captivating.

The Cincinnati Kid

If you enjoy watching Phil Hellmuth World Series of Poker clips on YouTube, you are going to absolutely love The Cincinnati Kid. The 1965 movie is a classic poker themed story of a young and upcoming star against a seasoned professional. It is an absolute gem of a movie for any poker players that are always looking at body language and behaviour of players sitting around a poker table.

The movie stars Edward G. Robinson, playing Lancey Howard, also known as “The Man ”, for his undeniable reputation in poker. His nemesis, Eric “The Kid” Stoner, is played by Steve McQueen, who is looking to make a name for himself in the game.

The Cincinnati Kid is a classic gambling movie as both performances are delivered to perfection. In addition, it has a variety of supporting actors that provide colour to the movie, making it more believable. The climax of the film is full of twists and turns, with the final hand statistically almost impossible to see. However, it makes up for a thrilling end.

Rounders

The 1988 Rounders is an epic gambling movie because it shows a different side of gambling. Remember, at the time, online casinos were not yet invented, meaning players could only visit land-based casinos. Not all land-casinos are as glamorous as Las Vegas. Instead, the majority of the action takes place in dodgy New York clubs which look rough, however there is a scene which is filmed in Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal.

The main character in Rounders that viewers end up cheering for is played by Matt Damon. The movie has several big names to it, including Edward Norton, John Malkovich and Martin Landau. It is visible that it was also a low budget movie but had a high-quality storyline.

A young Matt Damon acts a law student who ends up playing poker to fund his tuition fees. It has several poker scenes that are exciting to watch and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Moreover, even if you are not a poker fan, the tale is enjoyable and displays a different side of gambling – not the glamorous well-lit casinos that we are accustomed to seeing.

Uncut Gems

One of the best sports betting movies of all time is Uncut Gems, which was released only a few years ago in 2019. It stars Adam Sandler who takes on a completely different role to what he is accustomed to playing. In this movie, you will see Adam Sandler playing Howard “Howie” Ratner, a more serious role. Ratner is a New York jeweller who likes to play risky bets on NBA in his leisure time.

The thing about risky bets is that they involve high stakes. And when placing one too many risky bets, a player – such as Ratner – can find themselves in debt to dodgy characters. In Uncut Gems, you get to see how gambling in an unresponsible way can lead to problems. Although, as Sandler is the main character, there are also several humorous scenes and lines.

One stand-out performance is found in Kevin Garnett, the former Boston Celtic and Brooklyn Nets centre. He plays himself, adjusted to the storyline which is set in 2012. Uncut Gems is one of the best gambling movies if you enjoy watching a degenerate gambler place high stakes on sports bets, typically on NBA matches.