There’s simply no denying the aura and attraction of the casino – it’s been the backdrop of a number of iconic film scenes, and even those films that aren’t specifically about gambling, such as Rush Hour or Casino Royale – those scenes that are set in lavish, high-rolling casinos have a lot of charm and appeal to them.
Fact: In Casino Royale, for instance, the poker scene between James Bond and Le Chiffre steals the show – as it does in many older Bond films of yesteryear, where 007 calls on a big slice of luck to win in the casino. Today, we’ll be giving you our choice of the best gambling movies ever made.
The beauty of cinema, especially films that explore gambling, is that it tackles a topic that isn’t specific to one area of the world. Casino Royale is in Monaco; Uncut Gems is based in the USA; Casablanca, set in a casino in Morocco, explores gambling in Africa while navigating the societal problems of its time, and how people used to place bets all the way back in the 1940s.
While online gambling now brings many of these countries together, including those betting on sports. Many platforms offer intercontinental ways to bet, welcome bonuses at a European sports betting platform work the same way as a free bet on registration no deposit in Kenya would.
So, while the way people place their bets may have changed, sports betting still attracts tens of millions of people globally. However, even though the way people place bets has changed – that doesn’t mean sports betting and other types of gambling are still big cinema draws.
The Greatest Sports Betting Movies – Our Top Three
Sports are still a hugely popular form of entertainment – with over half a billion people regularly watching Premier League football, and hundreds of millions of NBA, NFL and NHL fans in the US – there’s always a gap in the market for a strong sports movie. Moviegoers love action, intensity and drama in equal measure, which is what sports and sports betting brings. Here’s out top three:
- #3 – Eight Men Out (1988) – the gripping and thrilling story about the 8 Chicago White Sox players who received lifetime bans for running a match fixing gambling ring.
- #2 – Lay The Favorite (2012) – a film full of suspense that explores the psychology of gambling and sports betting.
- #1 – Two For The Money (2005) – based on a true story, this sports betting film stars Matthew McConaughey as a rags to riches former football star who develops a strong skill for sports handicap betting.
Kate Richardson, an expert with multiple years of experience in the betting industry, stated, “Movies explore the unknown and briefly take us into different worlds and lives that interest us. The best gambling movies of all time have long been used to highlight how a casino works or a movie about sports betting works – some of the greatest directors of all time taking a shot at creating gambling movies. They can be highly entertaining when they’re well made.”
Movies Based On Casino Gaming – Our Top 5
- #5 – Casino Royale is different as it falls into the wider bracket of James Bond films that have grossed over $20 billion, the 2006 classic is not solely a movie about gambling. But with the whole plot revolving around a poker game, and having casino in the title – we’re going to put it in there.
- #4 – Ocean’s Eleven, the heist suspense thriller set in Las Vegas, made huge waves and brought in big box-office numbers when it came out in 2001. uch was the success of this gambling movie that the more recent all-female remake was a box-office success, grossing over 300 million.
- #3 – Rounders – (1998) – Matt Damon stars in a classic series that lifts the lid on underground poker in the US in the 1990s.
- #2 – Uncut Gems – Adam Sandler wowed critics in this serious role about a diamond dealing New Yorker with a gambling addiction.
Casino – A Scorsese Classic – Our #1 Pick
Of all the casino films, we’d say Casino (1995) is King. Martin Scorsese is a master filmmaker, undeniably one of the greatest ever in his field.
While some may disagree that Casino isn’t one of his finest, it’s a film that brings together the morbid appeal of the Mob and the phenomenal acting talents of Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, and Robert De Niro. It’s stapled together with one of the finest film soundtracks of the 1990s.
“There are three ways of doing things around here, the right way, the wrong way, and the way that I do it.” – Sam Rothstein (Robert De Niro)
Casino – The “right” way, the “wrong” way and…
Summary
While gambling might not have been explored as much as other genres, there’s still a lot in this genre that has stood the test of time. Helping to bottle the aura, feeling, and suspense that comes with casino gaming and sports betting.
