31 Best Gambling Movies of All Time Ultimate Gamblers’ Watchlist

While filming, James Caan was battling his own addiction to drugs, and he used that to suffuse his character with a raw sort of desperation. Based on an older movie with the same name, this new variation of “Ocean’s Eleven” became the first in the popular trilogy of heist comedy movies with a charming group of thieves. The movie combines smart comedy, decent suspense, and very enjoyable styles of directing and performance. Upon its release, “Ocean’s Eleven” was a commercial success and received positive reviews and love from the viewers. ” (2020) with the lovable characters being offered $2.5 million for a single game of Texas Hold’em, which takes them to multiple locations by various means of travel to play the card turns- with absurd hilarity ensuing. The movie is delightful both for the fans of the first movie and for the new audiences due to its engaging events and charming characters.

Casino Royale

The Cincinnati Kid shows that there’s an honor to be had, even in the high-stakes world of big-money poker games. Our journey through the best gambling movies has taken us from the neon lights of Las Vegas to the intense quiet of the poker table, reflecting the broad spectrum of stories that this genre has to offer. 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. We hope this list inspires you to explore these cinematic gems, each offering a unique perspective on the risks and rewards that define the gambling experience. Gambling has always been a rich vein for filmmakers to mine, offering narratives filled with risk, high stakes, and the intriguing personalities drawn to this world.

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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. “Casino Royale” is an action James Bond spy movie inspired by the old version released many years earlier.

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• The Gambler (1974) follows Axel as his life spirals out of control due to his out of control gambling habits.
• The film intricately portrays how the mob infiltrated Vegas casinos, while Sharon Stone’s dazzling performance as Rothstein’s troubled wife adds layers of drama.
• The worst gambling addicts are the ones who seem to be addicted to losing yet always think they have a shot at winning, and Eddie Garrett (Jake Johnson) in Netflix’s original comedy film Win It All fits that bill perfectly.
• 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.
• “Poker Queens” is a documentary released in 2020 that explores the world of professional female poker players.
• 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.
• During those eight years, he learned to count cards while serving time for his hand in torturing and abusing Abu Ghraib prisoners (a real tragedy that surfaced in 2004).
• It’s a film that is brutally honest in its exploration of the dirtiest sides of human nature, and while it may disturb a lot of the viewers, one cannot ignore the universally truthful message that it so brilliantly manages to convey.

Of course, being a Scorsese and De Niro movie, you know there’s going to be some serious gangster undertones. As it turns out, gambling and gangsters go hand-in-hand, and for this Scorsese film, it’s the Chicago Outfit that serves as the focal crime unit. Ocean’s Eleven is the ultimate heist movie, and it just so happens to take place in a casino!

‘High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story’

This is a biographical drama that depicts the life and career rise and fall of Stu Ungar, one of the most renowned and talented professional poker players in history. However, the movie also delves into the darker aspects of Ungar’s life and explores the toll that his gambling addiction takes on his relationships, his health, and his professional success. ‘Mississippi Grind’ tells the story of Gerry, a gambling addict, who happens to meet a young traveler named Curtis. Gerry believes that Curtis is his good-luck charm and soon sets out on a road trip with him to New Orleans where the duo needs to play a high stakes poker game. ‘Mississippi Grind’ is a film that gets all its basic elements right and manages to transcend the genre trappings. It is essentially a film about finding one’s own identity and it brilliantly manages to explore the intricacies of human relationships.

• 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.
• Tense, entertaining, and carried by incredible performances, Molly’s Game has everything a good crime-drama needs.
• ” (2020) with the lovable characters being offered $2.5 million for a single game of Texas Hold’em, which takes them to multiple locations by various means of travel to play the card turns- with absurd hilarity ensuing.
• While it didn’t affect me on a profoundly personal level, I can see how devastating the film could be for some people.
• Directed by Martin Scorsese, who’s rumored to be working on a biographical film about the punk band The Ramones, Casino is a gripping exploration of the rise and fall of a Las Vegas gambling empire.

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Louis’ fine dining establishment attracts a number of shady characters, including two gangsters whom one of Louis’ chefs is indebted to. Dinner Rush delves into one particularly busy evening at Louis’ restaurant when those two gangsters and a host of other eccentric personalities converge there all at once. Bugsy is not only a cinematic peek into the glitz and glamour seen within the world of gambling, but it’s also a fascinating biopic that’s all about legendary New York mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel.

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

• 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.
• James Bond goes undercover in order to infiltrate Chiffre’s major poker game, which is secretly being used as a way to acquire even more funds to support his terrorist dealings.
• It is essentially a film about finding one’s own identity and it brilliantly manages to explore the intricacies of human relationships.
• With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best casino-themed films that have become timeless classics, combining action, intriguing plots, and memorable characters.
• As a gambling film, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels succeeds at finding the humor in people trying to cheat their way into money, only to twist their lives around to wiggle their way out of debt.
• So go back and rewatch Croupier, where all that promise was laid out fairly magnificently.

The film tells the true story of Molly Bloom, a former Olympic-class skier who becomes involved in hosting high-stakes poker games for wealthy and influential players. The main themes of this movie are power, greed, and the conflict between legality and morality. “Molly’s Game” was positively assessed for its dynamic directing style and strong performance.

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Starring the ever flamboyant James Caan, ‘The Gambler’ is a raw, intriguing character study exploring the darkest sides of addiction. I came across this film as part of research for this article and it was just the kind of stuff that completely took me by surprise. The film, as its title suggests, uses gambling and takes a disturbing look at what eventually consumes the human existence. Caan is electrifying and vulnerable as a despicable character with whom we end up sympathising despite lacking any redeeming qualities. The movie Croupier takes a rather different take on conventional gambling films, showing another side of the industry.

The Gambler

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.

Smart Money

His rival is Minnesota Fats, one of the coolest named characters in gambling film history. The story goes that Robert Altman sent Elliot Gould the screenplay to California Split, hoping he’d play Charlie, a gambler who befriends fellow gambler Bill (George Segal). And yet the two men’s rakish charm, in one of the high watermarks of ’70s hangout cinema, makes this not just a great buddy movie but a beautiful exploration of boys-will-be-boys friendship. And, of course, there’s a whole lot of gambling, which Altman films with casual mastery, letting us eavesdrop on the weird characters and dangerous oddballs who populate that world. California Split remains perhaps the director’s most underrated classic — and its gut-punch ending is so muted, yet so perfect. 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.

Of course, it’s also about British secret intelligence operatives and the undercover workings thereof. A great buddy film—and Robert Altman’s most underrated classic—California Split stars Elliot Gould and https://crazystar-casino.com/ George Segal, both performing incredible feats of stoic face-acting. Part of the fun lies in trying to figure out if Segal hit it big or lost thousands, because his worrying expression never changes.

( High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (A. W. Vidmer,

California Split follows both men on their wild journey as they look to truly hit the jackpot. Bleek’s right-hand man, Giant, played by Lee himself, is in deep with his bookie for gambling debts, putting his best friend in jeopardy. The film comments on the themes of friendship and loyalty, no more evident than in the relationship of Bleek and Giant.

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Its compelling plot becomes a character study of sorts, and Jack Manfred should by dint of that go down as the single most compelling protagonist to ever be featured in a gambling movie. Steve McQueen stars herein as Eric “The Kid” Stoner, an up-and-coming poker player in New Orleans. 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. Directed by Norman Jewison, many hardcore film fans would cite this as the greatest gambling movie, period. And while director Norman Jewison didn’t top the list with The Cincinnati Kid (1965), the number five spot is nothing to complain about.

Whether it’s the bright lights of Las Vegas, the intense concentration at the poker table, or the shadowy realms of underground betting, gambling movies capture our imagination like few other themes can. Here’s a look at the top 31 gambling movies of all time, each offering its unique spin on the allure and perils of this captivating world. For a little over 90 minutes, Hard Eight Sydney takes John under his gambling wing after helping his homeless protege get enough money for his mother’s funeral. To prove himself, Eddie challenges top dog Minnesota Fats (played by Jackie Gleason) to a high-stakes game of pool. The Hustler isn’t just one of the best gambling movies, but best sports movies of all time.

• “Casino Royale” remains a popular entry in the James Bond film series due to its fresh take on the character.
• “Bugsy” is a biographical crime drama that tells the story of a real-life mobster’s rise to power, his involvement in organized crime, and his obsession with building the Hotel and Casino in the desert.
• Walsh was a dedicated gambler in real life and pulled a great deal from his own experiences when writing the script.
• In Croupier, Mike Hodges gives us a neo-noir take on gambling from the other side of the casino—one in which Jack Manfred (played by Clive Owen) is a dealer rather than a gambler.
• Acting as a realistic portrayal of gambling addiction, Ben Mendelsohn’s performance as Gerry shows the misery and recklessness that comes with his type of dependency.
• Set in 1936, ‘The Sting’ tells the story of a man seeking vengeance for his partner and teams up with a big shot to win a fortune from a criminal banker.

Dark City

Brad Pitt and the late James Gandolfini briefly team up as Jackie and Mickey, two hitmen tasked with exacting some street justice on three men who perpetrated the robbery. Pitt ends up getting the jobs done himself like an angel of death befallen anyone silly enough to gamble their lives away by messing with the mafia. An odd little comedy about a perpetual loser gambling addict (Richard Dreyfuss) who, for one day, hits on every single bet at the horse races.

The 15 Best Movies About Gambling and Casinos, Ranked

It’s dark at times, it’s touching every once in a while, and the whole way through Mississippi Grind (2015) will make you laugh at the absurdity of its characters and their many questionable decisions. The two leads develop a legitimate friendship, too, one which mirrors the chemistry of the actors themselves. This seedy, ’50s gambling noir was the Hollywood debut for actor Charlton Heston, who would go on to star in Planet of the Apes and The Ten Commandments. In Dark City, he plays an underground casino owner based in Los Angeles who must deal with patrons who won’t pay their dues. 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. Whether you’re in it to learn how to beat the house or just want to hear the soothing sounds of chips stacking and slots spinning, these are the best gambling movies to put you right in the action.

The Color of Money (

While certainly dramatized and not exactly accurate, «Rounders» offered a more realistic portrayal of poker than most movies before it had shown. In the tradition of his earlier gangster film «Goodfellas,» Scorsese brings together Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in a pair of roles that allow them to showcase everything they are capable of. De Niro plays Sam «Ace» Rothstein, a meticulous gambler-turned-casino-owner with a penchant for showmanship, while Pesci plays Nicky Santoro, a ruthless gangster who uses brazen violence to get anything he wants.

“Two for the Money” delves into the high-stakes world of sports betting, with Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, and Rene Russo leading the cast. The film explores the relationship between a former college football star, who becomes a sports handicapper, and his boss, a betting agency magnate. It’s a tale of greed, integrity, and the risky game of predicting sports outcomes, highlighting the psychological and emotional rollercoaster of gambling addiction and the high-pressure world of sports betting.

The movie combines elements of a character study, a gripping thriller, and a contemplation on the nature of obsession. Known for its atmospheric and introspective storytelling, “The Card Counter” offers a slow-burning and thought-provoking narrative that examines the destructive power of vengeance. The plot explores the main protagonist’s self-destructive behavior, his complex relationships with his students and family, and his desperate attempts to find a way out of his predicament. “The Gambler” is full of gambling scenes and delves into themes of addiction, obsession, and the consequences of one’s choices, providing an intense portrayal of the protagonist’s downward spiral. Apart from Netflix’s large collection of gambling-themed movies, there are plenty of other excellent gambling films. Some have even been on Netflix before and may return at some point, while others are still waiting to make their Netflix debut.

The film showcases the meticulous planning involved in prepping for the casino heist and goes to painstaking lengths to present the plan with utmost realism and plausibility. However, in the ultimate act of irony, the very same gambling addiction that got Bob into trouble in the first place rears its ugly head yet again. Rather than kicking off the heist, Bob begins gambling in the casino he was planning to rob and leaves his assembled team out to dry when the police swoop in. Whether characters ride the rush and win big or lose it all to a crippling addiction, these are the highest-rated gambling films of all time. Molly’s Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, a world-renowned Olympic-class skier. Molly’s athletic career is certainly noteworthy, but her side gig garnered even more interest once it was made public.

Starring Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn, this comedy-drama was directed by American filmmaking duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, and it was released by A24. It’s almost a road film of sorts, as Mendelsohn’s character — a gambling addict named Gerry — befriends Gosling’s character Curtis, and deems him a good luck charm. Thus, he recruits Curtis on a cross-country road trip to New Orleans to partake in a high-stakes poker game. There was a glorious point in the ‘90s when Matt Damon seemed only to play unassuming boy genius to his degenerate friends, and Rounders is arguably his finest portrayal of the golden boy archetype. Still, there’s a cerebral element to the filmmaking that makes Rounders awe-inspiring even to someone who only thinks the river is a body of water. McDermott sees inside the mind (and hand) of a diabolically stoic Russian mobster by watching how he eats Oreos.