How Many James Bond Movies Actually Have Casino Scenes?
A man in a suit, sipping a martini—shaken not stirred—while sitting at a casino table is the epitome of the James Bond character. As of 2025, there are 25 official James Bond movies made by Eon Productions. You’d think that, as he’s so closely connected to playing and fighting in a casino, it would be a feature in every one of the movies.
But that’s not the case. While casinos are present in many of the movies, most of the scenes—except for one—are only around three minutes long. If we, as viewers, consider the casino to be a crucial element of the James Bond franchise, are we correct? Let’s have a deeper look.
Why the Casino Is So Iconic to James Bond
It all began in 1962 when the first movie, starring Sean Connery, Dr. No, was released. It’s the second scene of the movie, and James is seated at a table at Le Cercle, an upmarket gambling club, playing chemin de fer against Sylvia Trench when she asks him his name. It is the first time Sean Connery speaks the classic “Bond, James Bond” line. The scene runs for three minutes, but sets the expectation that the casino will play an important part in the franchise. But did it in fact set the tone for the rest of the franchise?
The Casino as a Crucial Plot Device
Casinos appear in James Bond movies as they’re classy establishments where you’d expect a secret agent to be. They serve as plot devices as they’re either owned by the story’s villain or they’re the place where he meets a Bond girl, villain, or villainess. James Bond plays a range of games across the films, and while you don’t see him playing slot games at Casinos.com, he does play chemin de fer, baccarat, poker, blackjack, and sic bo.
Is this a plot device in every one of the James Bond movies? Surprisingly no. In fact, there’s a casino scene in “only” these 13:
Thunderball – 1964
Sean Connery’s James Bond meets villain Emilio Largo at the casino and beats him, then has the nerve to buy Largo’s lady companion a drink. It’s the first time the casino is used as the initial meeting with the villain, but it’s certainly not the last.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – 1969
The casino scene is critical to the plot as this is where George Lazenby’s James Bond rescues Countess Teresa (Tracy) Di Vincenzo, one of the most famous Bond girls, whom he eventually marries at the end of the film.
Diamonds Are Forever – 1971
While investigating a diamond smuggling operation, he visits a fictional Las Vegas casino called The Whyte House, where he meets another Bond girl, Plenty O’Toole. The casino is owned by the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld.
The Man with the Golden Gun – 1974
In a very brief casino scene, Roger Moore’s James Bond is playing cards at a casino and watches as a beautiful woman gets up and leaves. Later, he finds out she’s Andrea Anders, the mistress of the villain Francisco Scaramanga.
For Your Eyes Only – 1981
Once again, Roger Moore’s Bond is playing chemin de fer—this time against hapless, professional gambler Bunky. He’s being urged on by Countess Lisl von Schlaf, who is revealed as the girlfriend of the smuggler Milos Columbo.
Octopussy – 1983
Roger Moore as Bond is playing backgammon against villain Kamal Khan in a casino. Khan is cheating by playing with loaded dice. Bond turns the tables on him by using his own dice against him and ultimately wins.
Licence to Kill – 1989
The casino game of choice of Timothy Dalton’s Bond is blackjack, and he’s playing five hands at once. His reason for being in the casino is that it’s owned by the drug lord Franz Sanchez, his nemesis in this film.
Goldeneye – 1995
In this film, Pierce Brosnan’s first turn as James Bond meets the villainous Xenia Onatopp at a casino in Monte Carlo, where they play a high-stakes game of baccarat. She’s been considered the evilest of all the Bond villainesses to date.
The World Is Not Enough – 1999
Pierce Brosnan as James Bond is at the fictional Le Casino L’Or Noir, owned by Valentin Zukovsky, a man Bond doesn’t know whether to trust or not. Here, he meets oil heiress Electra King, who plays a million-dollar game where the house has to beat one single card. No spoiler who wins this one.
Casino Royale – 2006
In Daniel Craig’s first foray as James Bond, his movie has the longest and most significant casino scene. James Bond faces off against villain Le Chiffre in a Montenegro casino. It lasts around 25 minutes and features an extended high-stakes Texas Hold’em poker game, which is central to the plot.
Skyfall – 2012
Daniel Craig’s James Bond meets Sévérine at the Floating Dragon Casino in Macau. She’s the kept woman of the villain Raoul Silva. Although she agrees to help Bond, he never knows whether he can trust her or not.
Spectre – 2015
In Spectre, Daniel Craig’s James Bond heads to a casino in Rome owned by the film’s villain, Marco Sciarra. This is one of the only casino scenes where Bond doesn’t actually play a game; he’s there to investigate only.
James Bond Movies with No Casino Scene
Of the 25 official James Bond movies, there are 12 with no casino scenes at all. It’s hard to believe that a setting so synonymous with the character doesn’t appear in almost half of the movies, but here’s the list:
- From Russia with Love – 1963
- Goldfinger – 1964
- You Only Live Twice – 1967
- Live and Let Die – 1973
- The Spy Who Loved Me – 1977
- Moonraker – 1979 (In the book version, there is a bridge game at a casino, which is referred to in the movie, but never made it to the screen.)
- A View to a Kill – 1985
- The Living Daylights – 1987
- Tomorrow Never Dies – 1997
- Die Another Day – 2002
- Quantum of Solace – 2008 (The video game features a casino scene, but not the movie.)
- No Time to Die – 2021
The Casino Life of a Secret Agent
When you think of James Bond, you think of dry martinis, expensive cars with gadgets, beautiful women, and, of course, time in a casino. While the casino was a plot device for 13 of the films, for the other 12, it didn’t appear at all. It’s funny how something we think of as synonymous isn’t always the case. The new James Bond hasn’t been announced yet, but here’s hoping that the casino plot device makes a resurgence in the next batch of films.
