It is ironic that people want to escape risk all the time but at the same time a large part of the populace is fascinated with gambling. The foremost example of this fascination is the spate of gambling movies which hit the screen every year. Some become part of pop culture, some win critical acclaim, and some set the box office on fire. But one thing is for sure: gambling aficionados watch them with great eagerness, sometimes in the hopes of catching a trick or two. Rain Man is one movie which comes to mind where the autistic lead character counts cards at a casino, but that one is not a gambling movie.
Now, there are different kinds of gambling. Some of them involve gambling as the main plot point while others have gambling going on in the background while the story takes its course. Casino is one example of a film based on the Mecca of gambling, Las Vegas, but in its essence is a crime/ gangster/ drama movie hybrid, helmed by the great Martin Scorsese. But this is gambling movies 101 so let’s move on to the definitive list of gambling movies:
The Casino Movies
Perhaps the most popular genre in crime movies is heist, and particularly casino heist. The climax of Ocean’s Eleven features the titular gang of criminals breaking into a casino vault and stealing the winnings of not one by three Vegas casinos. Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, and Andy Garcia, with a huge ensemble, the film does not focus on gambling but you get to view a number of nifty casino tricks, not to mention there is some trivia on Las Vegas casinos as well.
The two sequels to the movie, Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen, also belong to the genre. Other casino movies you can check out are:
* The Cooler
* 21
* Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
* The Hangover
* Leaving Las Vegas
* Bugsy
* Revolver
* Easy Money
The Poker Movies
Poker has almost become a sub-genre of cinema, given the number of movies which focus on this game in particular. Havana and Deal are two fairly recent examples of the genre, but both movies failed to make a mark with critics and audiences alike. The best of the lot are:
* Lucky You
* Luckytown
* Rat Race
* Atlantic City
* House of Games
* Bad Lieutenant (not the Nicolas Cage one)
The Sports Betting Movies
One of the best illustrations of sports betting is in an episode of Seinfeld and you probably would have seen it, given the way they rerun that show. When it comes to movies, Silver Linings Playbook is a recent example of the genre where one of the main characters runs a book. The movie went on to Oscar-winning acclaim and emerged a box office success as well. Other movies which feature sports betting are:
* Big Shot
* The Gambler
* The Hustler
* Let It Ride
* The Color of Money
* Bookies
* Two for the Money
So, this is the definitive list of gambling movies. Check these out if you are into gambling and you will get an adrenaline rush which might have you running to the nearest casino (or to an online casino).
https://youtu.be/IWWtOQOZSTI?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published July 10, 2015. Updated November 29, 2022.
