Even though the gambling industry has focused increasingly on digital innovation and integration in recent decades, the allure of land-based casinos hasn’t diminished, as famous references continue to crop up across cult classic and modern films today. In this article, we’ll cover the top recommended casino movies of all time, adding insights behind their inspiration and the development of the shifting portrayal of casinos in popular films of many genres.
A Brief History of Casinos in Pop Culture Movies & Media
Casino depictions are littered across different kinds of media, including music, movies, and even literature, especially from the post-World War II era. The Las Vegas scene rose to become the World’s gambling capital, and filmmakers responded by representing this in their works. Cult classics like “Ocean’s 11” (1960) and “The Cincinnati Kid” (1965) were actually set in real casinos in the United States. By the 1970s, more people began to associate ties between organised crime and casinos, due to direct references in films and culture, giving rise to great movies like “The Godfather,” which features their “Casino Imperial” in Havana, Cuba.
Ranked by Popularity – The Top 10 Casino Films of All Time
Movies by brilliant filmmakers, like directors Martin Scorsese or Aaron Sorkin, for example, bring the casino culture to life on screen with captivating scenery and mechanics for audiences. By popular demand, here’s a list of the best casino movies of all time, each ranked according to its current score in the International Movies Database (IMDB).
- “Casablanca,” with score of 8.5/10
- “Casino,” with score of 8.2/10
- “Molly’s Game,” with score of 7.4/10
- “Rounders,” with score of 7.3/10
- “The Cincinnati Kid,” with score of 7.2/10
- “Hard Eight,” with score of 7.1/10
- “Croupier,” with score of 7/10
- “21,” with score of 6.8/10
- “Mississippi Grind,” with score of 6.4/10
- “The Card Counter,” with score of 6.2/10
How Cultural Attitudes Have Shifted to Casino Movie Portrayals
Cultural attitudes towards famous casino scenes have changed over recent decades, as lighter and more humous depictions have become commonplace, reflecting the growing influence and popularity of the iGaming industry and casino gambling. In earlier casinos in films of the twentieth century, gambling and casino halls were generally cast in a more negative light, in line with the contemporaneous societal view of gambling as a vice. However, as gambling activities became more regulated with the advent of online casinos and betting platforms, more movies now show these more positive or nuanced views.
Vintage Hollywood Casino Classics
During the “Golden Age” of Hollywood and in the years that followed, casinos and gambling in cult movies have shown both the allure and danger of casinos. Let’s take a look at some iconic movies from yesteryear below.
“Casablanca” (1942) Directed by Michael Curtiz
Rick Blaine, an American expatriate living in German-occupied, French Vichy-controlled Morocco, runs a gambling hall and bar where locals talk in hushed corners about “fixing” the odds to bribe officials with their winnings. One the most touching scenes in the film comes when Rick walks up behind a young man at the roulette table, hoping to earn enough for an exit visa for himself and his wife to escape with their lives to a sympathetic America, and tells him, “Tried 22 tonight?… I said 22. Keep it there.” Not only a classic, but this is also one of the earliest positive depictions of casino games in movies.
“The Cincinnati Kid” (1965) Directed by Norman Jewison
The plot follows Eric “The Cincinnati Kid” Stoner, who will stop at nothing to show everyone that he’s the most talented poker player in 1930s New Orleans. The most famous lines come from when The Kid challenges Lancy “The Man” Howard to a high-stakes game of Five Card Stud over a massive pot. Overwhelmed with the rush and thrill, The Kid thinks his full house of aces is a sure bet, only to lose when The Man is dealt a queen-high straight flush, and the latter jokes with him, “You’re good, kid… But as long as I’m around, you’re still second best.”
“The Gambler” (1974) Directed by Rupert Wyatt
English Professor Axel Freed is an example of how destructive a gambling addiction can be in this movie, as he spirals into debt and lands himself in trouble with a mob. The famous twist arrives when Axel travels to Las Vegas with the USD $44,000 he owes the mobsters, and wins big, only to end up losing everything once more on a last minute lucky shot in a Laker’s Game. Everything really begins to unravel for Freed once he stops thinking logically about the roulette odds, telling loan shark Neville, “You’ve got me feeling lucky. I’m putting everything on black. ”
“California Split” (1974) Directed by Robert Altman
Drawn to friendship by their love of casino games, Bill and Charlie experience the highs and lows of a vibrant gambling lifestyle and addiction, and the two travel to Reno together, broke, after pawning possessions. Once resources are pooled and the two decide to enter Bill in a high-stakes poker game with former world champion, Amarillo Slim, he wins big and the two take their winnings on to blackjack, roulette, and craps. After some losses at the craps table, Bill claims, “I don’t feel like I’ve won; I feel like I’ve lost something.”
The 1990s Casino Cinema Boom
With the turn of the ’90s, casino movies began to depict fewer negative attitudes towards gambling and produced more films about the thrill and pull of the game versus the possible prize money won. Let’s take a look at some lasting popular titles to compare.
“Casino” (1995) Directed by Martin Scorsese
“Casino,” set in Las Vegas in the 1970s, amidst the messy mob ties to gambling businesses, features Robert De Niro as the expert handicapper, mafia leader and Tangiers Casino overseer, Sam “Ace” Rothstein, who delivers this gripping monologue on the casino floor: “In Vegas, everyone’s got to watch everyone else. Since the players are looking to beat the casino, the dealers are watching the players. The box men are watching the dealers. The floor men are watching the box men. The pit bosses are watching the floor men. The shift bosses are watching the pit bosses. The casino manager is watching the shift bosses. I’m watching the casino manager and the eye in the sky is watching us all.”
“Hard Eight” (1996) Directed by Paul T. Anderson
One day, Sydney, a senior professional gambler, encounters a younger man, John, who’s found himself homeless after losing big in Las Vegas. The two share a cup of coffee and John tells Sydney that he needs help to win USD $6,000 for his mother’s funeral. The two pair up and travel to Vegas together, where Sydney teaches John how to gamble, and eventually, Sydney helps him win the money he needs. While it’s clear from the start that the two come from two worlds, a fatherly bond develops between the two by the film’s close.
“Croupier” (1998) Directed by Mike Hodges
An aspiring writer, Jack Manfred played by Clive Owen, tries to make ends meet and takes a job as a casino croupier where he quickly finds that his life begins to revolve around his new position. After he falsely learns that another fellow dealer, Jani, is a desperate high-stakes gambler and needs help for a pre-planned robbery to settle debts, Jack agrees. Even though his girlfriend tried to foil the plot, it goes ahead as planned, only for Jani and Jack’s father to eventually profit from the heist. One of the most interesting twists in the film is Jack’s decision to continue to work as a croupier, even after he publishes his book and becomes famous for it – his original goal.
“Rounders” (1998) Directed by John Dahl
Mike McDermott is a student of law and extremely skilled poker player who dreams of winning the World Series of Poker, but he decides to quit after losing his entire USD $30,000 bankroll instantly after challenging a Russian mobster, “KGB,” to a game. His old friend and gambling buddy, Lester “Worm” Murphy, pulls him back in, though, after raking up quite a debt, and the two take up as “rounders,” or one who travels from city to city seeking one high-stakes poker game after the next. Although their hobby lands them in trouble, Mike decides not to give up on his dream, “It’s not about the money. It’s about the game.”
Casino Movies After the 2000s
With the arrival of the 2000s and the years that followed, the portrayal of casino games and casinos in movies took on some other interesting genres, combining the excitement of gambling with often humorous or high-action heist plots.
“Casino Royale” (2006) Directed by Martin Campbell
MI6 Agent James Bond is tasked with entering a high-stakes poker tournament at the “Casino Royale” in Morocco to prevent a terrorist financier known as Le Chiffre from winning; this would recover his losses and only help to fund his organisation further. After Bond survives a few attempts on his life while the fellow players try to poison him and bluff their way to a win in the Texas Hold’Em tournament – “I’m sorry. That last hand… Nearly killed me” – fellow Agent for the CIA, Felix Leiter, steps in to assist him, backing his game for a few more rounds so Bond can take ’em down.
“Molly’s Game” (2017) Directed by Aaron Sorkin
Based on a true story, Molly Bloom is a former world-class Olympic competitive skier who winds up in the high-stakes gambling business after a career-ending injury throws her life into chaos. After taking a waitressing job at a club, Molly soon learns to play poker professionally herself, becoming the “Poker Princess,” and takes over running some of the underground gambling games held there. After she’s forced to start her own business amidst her success, she eventually loses it all once the mafia and FBI get involved, after which she resolves to write a book about her tale.
“Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Though Soderbergh’s heist comedy is a remake of the original 1960 film, its popularity arguably surpasses the latter among audiences today. Heavyweight Hollywood stars play Danny Ocean and his trusted team as they plan the intricate details and steal over USD $150 million from 3 Las Vegas Casinos on the night of a high-profile boxing match. When fellow pal and thief, Rusty, asks Danny why he does it, he reluctantly responds, “Because the house always wins. Play long enough, you never change the stakes, the house takes you. Unless, when that perfect hand comes along… You bet big, and then you take the house.”
“The Card Counter” (2021) Directed by Paul Schrader
In a story about self-redemption and cruelty of life, self-taught card-counting genius, William Tell, connects with a young man, Cirk, whose life’s goal is to avenge his father’s death, and agrees to help him pay off his debts with his winnings. He enters the World Series of Poker tournament with his plan, only to later fall on his own philanthropic sword. After he meets admirer, La Linda, there, she asks him, “If you don’t play for money, why do you play at all?” And he replies, simply, based on his past, “It passes the time.”
It’s All in the Cards – Other Recommended Casino Films
While you can’t predict the cards you’re dealt in a casino game, you can bet on guaranteed entertainment in gambling films. Here are some other classic titles we recommend for casino movie buffs:
- “The Hustler” from 1961.
- “The Sting” from 1973.
- “The Color of Money” from 1986.
- “Let It Ride” from 1989.
- “The Cooler” from 2003.
Honourable Mentions of International Gambling & Casino Movies
While Hollywood has produced some of the best casino movies on the market to date, other countries in Europe and Asia boast famous casino movie titles as well, popular among international audiences with higher viewer ratings. Here are some titles that fit this bill:
- “Bob le flambeur,” a 1956 French film.
- “Casino de Paris,” a 1957 French, Italian and German film.
- “The Gambler,” a 1958 French-Italian film.
- “Casino Raiders,” a 1989 Hong Kong film.
- “God of Gamblers,” a 1989 Hong Kong film.
- “The Conman,” a 1998 Hong Kong film.
Other Interesting Facts About Famous Casino Films Stars
Gripping tales of suspense, risk, and reward told in cinematic masterpieces are fascinating, but so are the little-known facts about these films. Did you know:
- The legendary gambling movie “Casino” is loosely based on the true story of Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and remains one of the top-rated gambling movies of all time.
- It’s also been reported that Brad Pitt ate over 40 cocktail shrimp while shooting a scene that required several takes in “Ocean’s Eleven.”
- In one last behind-the-scenes example, Matt Damon, Pitt’s co-star in “Ocean’s Eleven,” is actually a professional poker player and has starred in other famous gambling movies, like “Rounders.”
Conclusion
While we can agree that casinos have enjoyed a somewhat mixed representation, historically, across several genres, the allure and draw of gambling games has continued to be a prominent feature, as the main or a side plot, in pop culture, film and media refences in classic movies time and time again. These movies allow players to understand the twists to the games better and get into the frame of mind one needs while gambling, proving an interesting subject to examine and remake in subsequent plots. You can use our recommendations for the best casino movies the next time you’re looking for something to watch! For other insightful blogs, articles, detailed reviews, and more, check out the Ace Alliance homepage to find more expert tips on trending topics in the iGaming industry today.