Top Must-Watch Movies for Casino Enthusiasts

In the past, gambling was considered a leisure activity meant to be enjoyed only by the rich or the affluent. The development of modern technology, however, has opened the doors of convenience and variety that present-day gambling aficionados enjoy, and has proved to be a game-changer in the gambling industry.

With the rising popularity of online casinos, experiencing the fun and thrill of gambling no longer requires a trip outside one’s home. Today, casino enthusiasts can enjoy poker, slot games, blackjack, roulette, and other games of chance from the comfort of their homes.

New players now have access to and can learn how to play any casino game with easy-to-follow tutorials and get to know the rules of the game without feeling embarrassed, unlike in traditional casinos. Furthermore, online casino comparison hub Casino Rank can be useful when finding the best Japanese online casinos for you.

It’s a smart idea to acquire as much information regarding online gambling instead of putting your money haphazardly into something that you are not familiar with. This can be achieved through reading related blogs and reviews, taking advantage of free-to-play games or demo accounts to test the waters first – and even watching movies.

Whether you need a break from playing at your favorite online casino sites or want to get some insights into everything that goes around the world of gambling, here we have listed six of the best casino movies of all time that you should not miss watching.

So, let’s get rolling!

1. Casino Royale

   Director: Martin Campbell
   Length: 2 Hours and 24 Minutes
   Release Year: 2006

   Based on the book by Ian Fleming and a remake of the 1973 movie of the same name, Casino Royale has Daniel Craig making a superb James Bond by creating a new reality for the iconic British secret agent known by his code-name, 007.

   The plot revolves around a marathon high stakes poker game tournament, in which Bond must prevent the main antagonist in the movie, Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), the banker of a handful of worldwide criminal and terrorist organizations, from winning a high-stakes Texas Hold’Em poker game at The Casino Royale in Montenegro.

   This classic movie has earned a reputation as one of the most well-regarded in the 007 series and depicts with visual elegance the world of gambling – filled to the brim with class, risks, and wealth.

2. The Hangover

   Director: Todd Phillips
   Length: 1 Hour and 40 Minutes
   Release Year: 2009

   Starring, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha, The Hangover is one of the greatest casino comedy movies that will surely give you a good laugh. An epic presentation of what could go wrong in a Las Vegas casino, the movie is about four friends — Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug — who go to Vegas for a bachelor party weekend at Caesars Palace. However, they wake up the next day with no memory of the previous night’s events and with Doug missing. With little time to spare, the three must figure out what went wrong and find Doug in time for his wedding.

3. The Gambler

   Director: Rupert Wyatt
   Length: 1 Hour and 51 Minutes
   Release Year: 2014

   A movie that will certainly be worth your while, particularly if you’re a Blackjack fan, The Gambler is a remake of the 1974 movie of the same title. It tells the story of an English Literature professor, Jim Bennett, played by Mark Wahlberg, who has a gambling addiction that drives him to borrow money from a loan shark after losing a Blackjack game against some gangsters. He has seven days to pay off his debts or be killed.

   From that point on, Bennett proceeds to look for desperate solutions to somehow pay off his debt and get off the hook alive. While the events of the story might seem quite predictable, the movie represents – in a metaphorical manner – the dangers and downsides of aggressive gambling as well as how addiction can easily ruin someone’s life.

4. Ocean’s Eleven

   Director: Steven Soderbergh
   Length: 1 Hour and 57 Minutes
   Release Year: 2001

   Besides having a legendary cast impeccably dressed and sporting the swank that real gamblers wish they had, the beauty of the action-packed Ocean’s Eleven is that the gambling scene is just the prelude to the rest of the film.

   A remake of the 1960 Rat Pack favorite, the titular hero, Danny Ocean (George Clooney), conspires with his former pal Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt) and together they gather nine other men with different criminal talents in a mission to rob $150 million from a vault that serves three of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas.

5. Mississippi Grind

   Director: Ryan Fleck
   Length: 1 Hour and 48 Minutes
   Release Year: 2015

   A representation of an avid gambler’s psychology, the hallmarks of Mississippi Grind are addiction, depression, and regret. It tells the story of two obsessive gamblers, Texas Hold’Em player Gerry (Ben Mendelsohn) and a younger charismatic poker player, Curtis (Ryan Reynolds), who decide to hit the road on a trip down the Mississippi River and try their luck in all the major cities they pass through until they reach their ultimate destination south – a New Orleans poker game where they have visions of winning potentially big payoffs.

6. Rounders

   Director: John Dahl
   Length: 2 Hours and 1 Minute
   Release Year: 1998

   Few other gambling movies are able to successfully render sterling depictions of poker strategy as well as table banter, and Rounders definitely does not disappoint. It’s the story of a law school student, Mike McDermott, played by Matt Damon, who discovers his hidden poker talent. After losing against Teddy KGB (John Malkovich), an irrepressible Russian gangster, Mike decides to stop gambling for good.

   This doesn’t last too long, however. Mike finds out that his best friend Lester, aka Worm Murphy (Edward Norton), who was just released from prison, has an old debt to pay off. Once again, Mike finds himself frenzied by the casino world. With the pair close to getting the amount needed for Worm’s debt, they get caught cheating. Later on, Mike discovers that Worm actually owed the money to Teddy and attempts to make a final effort to beat the Russian gangster.

   Full of famous faces and brilliant performances, Rounders is an educational film that does an excellent job of capturing the importance of making careful bets and warns against the consequences of compulsive gambling.

Having an inherent drama in them because, essentially, they are about risk, movies about gambling offer an undeniable thrill. Usually, they carry high-tension drama or are filled with a gut-busting comedy of errors. So, if anything casino entices you, check out this list for some popcorn entertainment.