Top Casino Themed Movies You Need to Watch

Whether you are a casino aficionado yourself and you enjoy everything gambling-themed, or you are a movie lover in general and you are searching for a new and exciting movie genre or theme to try, give gambling themed movies a chance. The vibes of these movies will carry you straight into the inimitable atmosphere inside luxury casinos around the globe, giving you, the viewer, the chance to live or, why not, relive the thrills of a fast-paced game with huge stakes.

The excitement of gambling and the huge popularity of this activity has caught the attention of many script-writers and movie directors across the globe over the years. Besides simply watching a casino-themed movie for pure enjoyment, you can actually learn some fresh skills and secrets, so you have plenty of reasons to engage in one or two of the following titles on our list of top gambling-based movies of all time. 

“Casino” by Martin Scorsese

The movie was released in 1995 by the highly-praised director Martin Scorsese and it introduces viewers to the mysterious and, as expected, extremely luxurious lifestyle that characterizes Sin City – seen through the eyes of regular Joes.

Robert De Niro plays ex-mob Sam Ace who has retired from the gangster lifestyle and is now leading an average life, working for a casino in Las Vegas. However, when his old friend and still active mafia boss played by none other than Joe Pesci pays him a visit, things take an interesting turn. While Sam Ace continues to play by the rules, Nicky and Ginger, two of his old colleagues make things harder on him, finally making him crack and use their combined powers to cheat the system. When some corrupt members of the government and the FBI step into the picture, the action gets even more hectic and the movie even more captivating to watch.

“Ocean’s Eleven” by Steven Soderbergh

The 2001 masterpiece revolves around none other than the now-iconic Danny Ocean, a well-known thief played by George Clooney. When Ocean decides to reunite a group of 11 talented con artists to steal a grand total of $150 million from 3 different casinos in Las Vegas, the action is bound to get wild. The Mirage, The Bellagio, and MGM Grand are the three targeted venues that are run by Terry Benedict, Ocean’s direct competition when it comes to the lady (Julia Roberts) who stole his heart (pun intended). Get ready to also watch the extraordinary performances of Brad Pitt and Matt Damon and prepare yourself for a nice mix of comic references and a twisty plot that will keep you glued to the screen.

“21” by Robert Luketic

The movie was released in 2001 and Luketic happens to be one of the highest praised directors in the movie industry, so its resounding success was already half-guaranteed. The other half of the movie’s success was due to the fact that it was based on a true story. “21” is a modern classic movie that tells a very interesting tale set in a time when casino gambling wasn’t even half popular as it is today. We see Kevin Spacey busy training skilled students in their count carding efforts inside a popular casino in Vegas, sprinkled with plenty of trickery and betrayals acts that are hard to predict, which makes the movie so good, to begin with. The way the movie portrays and, some would argue, glamorizes card counting might make some of you who are passionate about blackjack games hit Play on a game online as soon as the credits start running.

“Casino Royale” by Martin Campbell

The 2006 movie is actually an excellent remake of the older version of “Casino Royale” which had its official premiere in 1973. The movie centres around a world of riches and high-class, filled with high-stakes and lots of risks and it introduces the viewer to none other than the beloved James Bond played majestically by Daniel Craig. Agent 007 is on an important mission of preventing Le Chiffre, a feared banker part of the Worldwide Criminal Organization, from winning a Texas Hold ’em game with extremely high stakes at the Le Casino Royale located in Montenegro. If Le Chiffre cannot win, his many criminal groups will remain penniless. “Casino Royale” has managed to not only paint a realistic image of the extravagant atmosphere inside a casino, but it has also managed to build itself a good reputation in the world of gamblers.