The 15 Best Gambling Movies of All Time

Vincent and Eddie embark on a road trip to all the pool halls, betting and scamming their way to the big bucks. Atlantic City and the nine-ball beckon them, but their combined egos threaten to block the way. Rupert Wyatt’s 2014 remake of The Gambler received indifferent reviews because it pales in comparison to the taut 1974 classic. Karel Reisz directed the original movie, in which James Caan’s strong central performance was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Hard Eight (

‘Bob le Flambeur’ is widely admired for its innovative, stylistic techniques including the pioneering use of handheld cameras, and has widely influenced many American films on the same subject. 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. The narrative is segregated into chapters with music playing a key role in storytelling. Parts of the film do not hold up well and may seem a bit dated now but the plot is quite cleverly tackled and gives a smart, funny picture into the world of poker games. And what’s more interesting is that we end up rooting for the leads who are apparently criminals and have very few likable qualities. This Wayne Kramer romantic flick is about a sad casino employee who personifies the word “unlucky” for the players around him and is desperate to be with a woman.

Molly’s Game (

This just inspires him to push harder and keep it going, and while this might turn out to be a disaster in a movie like, say, Uncut Gems, here, it’s just a wacky ’80s comedy. Let It Ride still gets a lot of comedic mileage out of Dreyfuss’s mania and goes a long way on some very fun supporting performances from Teri Garr, Jennifer Tilly, and David Johansen. What it does have, though, is Adam Sandler chaotically pawning Kevin Garnett’s NBA Championship Ring to place a six-way parlay on him winning the game. It gets to the point where Axel has to borrow thousands from his mother—and even bet his own life—in order to fund his gambling addiction.

Atlantic City (

The script for the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie is nearly done, according to creator Steven Knight, and fans couldn’t be more excited to see the Shelby boys back on screen. Although Peaky Blinders would not be the first TV show or movie to show gambling in all its complicated glory, it has been lauded as one of the best. These movies are near perfection, though one annoying character has left a negative impression on some fans. Eric Stoner (played by Steve McQueen), also known as The Cincinnati Kid, is the young, cocky, and eager-to-card-duel newbie on the block who’s dying to try his luck against the master. Robert Altman exposes the grim underbelly of the Vegas scene, where cocaine, violence, and prostitution tangle with roulette tables and betting booths to destroy lives. The “color of money” just to happens to match the hue of a pool table, devouring the duo into a blinding world of green.

Bullsh*t The Gameshow

After losing it all at the casino due to a lifelong addiction, Bob decides he’s going to get the old gang back together and rob the joint—if he can only keep himself away from the tables. No scientific studies have proven if Tom Cruise in the ‘80s could make anything cooler. Still, if there were, the magnetic bravado he brought to pool hustlers in the 1986 film The Color of Money would be all the evidence you need of his infectious coolness. There’s betrayal, enraptured Martin Scorsese directing, and enough banter between Newman and Cruise to make this a must-see classic, gambling or not. You could read up on the seedy history of Sin City, or you could spend close to three hours watching a Martin Scorcese masterpiece. Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert DeNiro) unofficially runs the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas at the direction of the Chicago Mafia and acts as the viewers’ eyes and ears to the unseen machinations of running a casino in Las Vegas.

Hard Eight

After getting word that Le Chiffre wants to use high stakes poker to raise money for terrorist activities, MI6 enlists the help of Mr. Bond to try to beat him at the poker table. Not only does Bond show off amazing bluffing strategies but it also manages to break down Le Chiffre organization. This Robert Rossen film was an adaptation of the novel of the same name written by Walter Tevis, who also wrote “The Man Who Fell to Earth” and “The Queen’s Gambit,” two more novels to receive high-profile adaptations.

Johnny O’Clock

Molly just so happened to be running an exclusive poker game ring for an entire decade that welcomed celebrities, business tycoons, and even mobsters. After being arrested during a massive FBI sting, Molly comes into contact with a criminal defense lawyer and relays more of her enthralling life story to the viewing audience. But his role in Uncut Gems reminded everyone that he’s a force to be reckoned with when he’s given incredible material to work with.

Honeymoon in Vegas (

This moment then leads to a change in character for Charlie that makes this film a real tearjerker that’s bound to hit you right in the feels. Matt Damon stars in this movie all about placing big bets and fighting to escape crippling debt. Matt’s character (Mike McDermott) ends up losing a ton of money during a poker game against a Russian gangster. After experiencing such a devastating loss, Mike leaves the poker scene behind due to his girlfriend’s pleas to leave the game behind. But the game comes calling once more when Mike finds out his friend Lester “Worm” Murphy needs to pay off a huge debt to the same Russian mobster that Mike took a major loss to. Rounders follows Mike and Lester as they try to work the system to their advantage and find a way to get one over on the man who’s responsible for their financial misfortunes.

Vegas Vacation (

Ace and Nicky begin as best friends, only to gradually become the worst of enemies as matters spiral out of control between the two of them, the mob, and the FBI. The film displays a keen eye for detail in showcasing the various goings-on within a Las Vegas casino from both the point of view of the gamblers and from those on the other side of the money. Rigging slot machines, laundering money, and crippling cheating gamblers is all in a day’s work in “Casino.”

‘The Hustler’

Walsh was a dedicated gambler in real life and pulled a great deal from his own experiences when writing the script. In an interview with the poker website PlayCA, Walsh described his goal to make a gambling movie that would be realistic, timeless, and devoid of the romanticized portrayal of gambling often seen in other films. The interviewer notes that “he avoided the temptation to embellish or make gambling seem more romantic than it really is.” Whether you enjoy gambling yourself or prefer to let fictional characters make the bets, the best gambling movies are always good for a rush of adrenaline. The conflux of luck, skill, danger, and, in some cases, cheating is what makes these top gambling films so memorable.

Molly’s Game

• In Dark City, he plays an underground casino owner based in Los Angeles who must deal with patrons who won’t pay their dues.
• When films like The Card Counter uncover the psychological connection between being good at gambling and dealing with being a human, they create something truly magical that stands the test of time.
• The title refers to a particular dice roll in the game of craps; two fours equal a hard eight.
• Rupert Wyatt’s 2014 remake of The Gambler received indifferent reviews because it pales in comparison to the taut 1974 classic.
• Bernie Lootz is very efficient at what he does – he works at a Las Vegas casino as a sort of “bad luck bringer” that goes out of his way to jinx gamblers into losing.
• The narrative is segregated into chapters with music playing a key role in storytelling.
• This time around, the Western setting of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was traded in favor of 1936 Chicago.

And they’re all portrayed by talented thespians, most of whom shine particularly bright within comedic roles — Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Heather Graham, for example. Of course, it also features Bradley Cooper, which helped establish him as a juggernaut of the industry. Two con men get revenge for a fallen friend in this buddy comedy starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The Sting won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, and many more in 1974, as the smart but tense comedy keeps the audience guessing who will come out the better grifter. In this one, Paul Newman is cool as a cucumber as the younger version of Fast Eddie, still making a name for himself in the gangster-like world of gambling (for all its reputation and nicknames).

• 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.
• The 1995 gambling movie directed by Martin Scorcese stars Robert De Niro as Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, an oddsmaker from Chicago who attracts the attention of the Mafia for his skills with numbers.
• The most stressful part of “Uncut Gems” is watching Howard fall into the same old pitfalls time after time, unable to overcome his gambling addiction.
• He got the idea to build a hotel and casino resort, the Flamingo, during one of his trips to Vegas to check up on a gambling joint.
• Directed by the master of French crime thrillers, Jean-Pierre Melville, Bob le Flambeur, a.k.a. Bob the Gambler, is an early masterpiece.
• Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Samuel L. Jackson comprise the impressive cast for this debut indie movie.

High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (

As he immerses himself in this world of deceit, Victor begins to question the moral implications of his actions and the consequences they may have on his relationships and future. The movie addresses the themes of ethics and ambition, and despite its age, is known for high-quality performance. Familiye is a black-and-white film that depicts the story of a family of three brothers, the eldest of whom has just got out of prison. He now has to care for his two brothers, one who suffers from compulsive gambling and is in massive debt and another with Down syndrome. The movie is a great watch both alone and with company, but gambling scenes are few and far between, with most of them bunched up during the latter parts of the film. Although not a particularly accurate representation of the actual MIT Blackjack Team story, 21 is still a great watch for anyone who enjoys the game of blackjack.

Part of the James Bond saga, ‘Casino Royale’ chronicles the beginning of Bond’s career as Agent 007, as he takes on a mission to pull back a mob banker from winning a high stakes poker game. ‘Casino Royale’ is one of the best James Bond flicks and features an iconic performance by Daniel Craig who took the Bond character to another level, portraying him as a tough yet vulnerable man. The film is gritty, entertaining and visually mesmerizing and is just the kind of stuff to watch if you’re in the mood for some pure, classy, adrenaline pumping fun. Clive Owen stars as Jack Manfred, a wannabe novelist who takes up a job as a croupier, both because he needs the money and because he believes it will make for good research for the book he’s writing. The line between himself and the main character of his novel begins to blur as he leans more and more into his constructed persona as a croupier. Alex Kingston as Yani de Villiers makes for a great femme fatale in the classic neo-noir tradition, while the film’s smokey cinematography and hard-boiled voice-over narration complete the noir stylings.

Television & Film

This is pretty much a gambling epic, like a sprawling western directed by Sergio Leone or Howard Hawks with Robert De Niro playing the gunslinging head of the titular location in Casino (1995). And in this case, the epic was directed by Martin Scorsese in one of his most ambitious films to-date. With seven wins at the Academy Awards out of ten total nominations, The Sting (1973) is perhaps the most acclaimed film of the entire list. It also holds a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and has been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry. And one could argue that the bulk of its admiration from fans and critics alike stemmed from the chemistry of its cast. As one of the more well-known entries of the James Bond film franchise, Casino Royale (2006) stands out much as the most action-packed project ever made about gambling.

The Hustler

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.

Poker Queens

The Ocean’s Trilogy is one of the most iconic casino heist movie series and includes Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve, and Ocean’s Thirteen. All movies star George Clooney as Danny Ocean, an aspiring criminal who wants to complete the largest heist in history. Arguably the most popular film on this list, Martin Scorsese’s follow up to the iconic ‘Goodfellas’ was another tale of friendships, betrayal, greed, violence and morality. Only this time, the setting shifted from the mean streets of New York to the infamous Casino world of Las Vegas. Scorsese has always been fascinated by the glamour world and exposing the dark sides of success and prosperity. The film was widely criticized for its unrestrained use of violence and thematic resemblance to ‘Goodfellas’ but over the years, people have been more vocal in its praise and it is now regarded as one of Scorsese’s better works.

• “California Split” explores the highs and lows of their gambling adventures as they travel from one casino to another in California.
• “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.
• “Casino Royale” remains a popular entry in the James Bond film series due to its fresh take on the character.
• Steve McQueen stars herein as Eric “The Kid” Stoner, an up-and-coming poker player in New Orleans.
• 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.
• Robert Altman exposes the grim underbelly of the Vegas scene, where cocaine, violence, and prostitution tangle with roulette tables and betting booths to destroy lives.
• 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.

We kick off our list with one of the most popular modern movies about sports betting, Uncut Gems. In this movie, Adam Sandler portrays Howard Ratner, a New York jeweler with a huge gambling debt that is rapidly catching up to him and ruining his life. With gambling being so prevalent in the Western world for many years, it’s no surprise that it has made its way to Hollywood films. And with the rise of online streaming platforms, gambling movies on Netflix are literally just one click away. After losing the botched poker game, the quartet must raise £500,000 to pay off Harry’s gambling debt or Eddy will lose his dad’s pub. You have to see this thriller for yourself to discover the violence, heists and clowning these guys must go through to evade Harry’s wrath.

From the Safdie Brothers, Uncut Gems follows fast-talking jeweler Howard as he tries to juggle family obligations, his mistress, angry collectors, and mounting debts on top of his insatiable thirst for gambling. One of James Caan’s best movies, The Gambler focuses on a literature professor with a gambling vice who must avoid loan sharks when they begin to circle. A perennial down-on-his-luck guy works as a gambling jinx, known as a cooler, in an old school casino until his luck changes for the better when he becomes smitten with a cocktail waitress, much to his cutthroat boss’s frustration.

‘Casino Raiders’ tells a thrilling story of two gambling friends who are up against notorious Japanese gangsters, which would go on to change their lives forever. The film came out at a time when gambling movies were a trend in Hong Kong cinema and it spawned two sequels—’No Risk, No Gain’ and ‘Casino Raiders II’—with different storylines. It’s a slick action thriller that gets all its basic genre elements right, with no narrative hiccups.

• Although the MCU and DCEU exist separately from each other, there are instances where each studio has referenced the other in their movies.
• If you’re looking for a gambling film that has a lighter edge to it, then this pick should elicit a few laughs.
• Long before Paul Thomas Anderson became the modern master that he is today, he built an idea on telling a story about five people whose lives are connected through a 20$ bill.
• Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond features a gripping high-stakes poker game against a terrorist financier.
• And what’s more interesting is that we end up rooting for the leads who are apparently criminals and have very few likable qualities.
• There’s betrayal, enraptured Martin Scorsese directing, and enough banter between Newman and Cruise to make this a must-see classic, gambling or not.

The team of highly gifted individuals is trained by a professor at MIT (although, in reality, the actual blackjack team wasn’t started by a professor) and has plenty of success in its escapades before things begin going south. One of my friends once said that ‘Bad Lieutenant’ was a film that shook him to the core and forever changed the way he looked at the https://crazystar-casino.com/ world. While it didn’t affect me on a profoundly personal level, I can see how devastating the film could be for some people. 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.

Gambling is typically portrayed in films as a boys’ club, but Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game shows how women can be even more adept at navigating the treacherous world of underground gambling. As with the best gambling movies, the poker table is only one arena where the stakes are high in Molly’s Game. She relies on gambling the people’s identities from her poker game to keep her money and avoid prison when the FBI comes knocking.

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. Directed by John Dahl, this is the only film on the list that has gone down as a true cult classic. It received lukewarm responses from critics upon release, and didn’t even double its $12 million budget when playing in theaters throughout the world. The debut film by Paul Thomas Anderson, Hard Eight starts off as a free-wheeling film about a casino pro (Philip Baker Hall) and his new protege (John C. Reilly), who start winning big at the casino. Everything changes when the young craps player falls in love with Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), forcing him to break some of his mentor’s rules to disastrous effects. If you’re feeling lucky and want to see what that luck can get you, put down the FanDuel app and check out the 20 best gambling movies you can watch to satisfy your hunger for more.

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.

In reality and in the film, Dan Mahowny, whose real name was Brian Molony, per the Toronto Star, was a manager at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce with an all-consuming gambling addiction. He used his position as a bank manager to gamble with money belonging to the bank’s clients in excess of $10 million. If you’re looking for a gambling film that has a lighter edge to it, then this pick should elicit a few laughs. Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels is a British crime/comedy that stars Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones. The plot revolves around four friends who decide to put all their cash together and enter a major poker game against a big-time crime boss. That crime boss takes the win under dubious means, which forces the main man who convinced his crew to enter the game to pay up or be forced to give up his father’s pub as collateral.

The story of “Intacto” revolves around the concept of luck as a tangible and transferable asset. In this world, there are individuals known as “luck thieves” who possess the ability to steal the luck of others. The movie broadly explores themes of fate, chance, and the limits of control over one’s own destiny via original storytelling.

However, the introduction of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Clementine character as a waitress and prostitute who John falls for threatens to drive a wedge between him and Sydney. Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Jimmy, only complicates matters further and inject a little violence into their dynamic. While most gambling movies focus on high-stakes action, “Hard Eight” centers entirely around low-stakes gambling. Sydney’s teachings largely revolve around how to avoid losing money gambling rather than how to win money. Bloom’s incredible life story saw her competing as a skier in the Olympics until suffering a devastating injury. Not content to live a normal life after recovering from the injury, Bloom wound up getting herself involved in Hollywood’s underground poker world.

Translated as either “Bob the Gambler” or “Bob the High Roller,” Bob le flambuer is a cinematic breakdown of what happens when someone is forced to risk it all. Bob Montagne, the main character of the film, is known as an extremely lucky gambler who’s a big hit amongst the populace. But when things turn dour for him and his good luck subsides, the ones that once loved him the most decide to abandon him. In order to regain his wealthy status, Bob maps out a plan to rob a casino during a, particularly important weekend. The Sting is a classic film that’s the perfect onscreen representation of what it takes to pull off a major con job.

These films enchant audiences and leave lasting impressions by capturing the essence of the gambling world and its multifaceted characters. This crime drama is set in Las Vegas during the 1970s and 1980s, and it revolves around the operations of the fictional Tangiers Casino. The movie invites the viewer into a complicated world of casino businesses and gamblers, exploring themes of power and corruption, all against the background of the Las Vegas glamor. “Casino” received positive reviews for its ability to capture the essence of Las Vegas as a capital of gambling. This Western comedy revolves around a high-stakes poker game in the Old West town of Laredo.