Whether it’s the bright lights of Las Vegas, the intense concentration at the poker table, or the shadowy realms of underground betting, gambling movies capture our imagination like few other themes can. Here’s a look at the top 31 gambling movies of all time, each offering its unique spin on the allure and perils of this captivating world. For a little over 90 minutes, Hard Eight Sydney takes John under his gambling wing after helping his homeless protege get enough money for his mother’s funeral. To prove himself, Eddie challenges top dog Minnesota Fats (played by Jackie Gleason) to a high-stakes game of pool. The Hustler isn’t just one of the best gambling movies, but best sports movies of all time.

The Hustler (

The movie received commercial success and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The comedy story follows a group of friends who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party to celebrate their friend’s upcoming wedding and experience a series of outrageous and comedic misadventures. The movie became a surprise hit upon release due to its humor and unexpected plot twists. Although, for some of these films, you might need to do some digging around to find which country they’re available in. The soundtrack and performances of the main cast are excellent and warrant a watch just for them.

The Color of Money

The Cincinnati Kid shows that there’s an honor to be had, even in the high-stakes world of big-money poker games. Our journey through the best gambling movies has taken us from the neon lights of Las Vegas to the intense quiet of the poker table, reflecting the broad spectrum of stories that this genre has to offer. Whether it’s the thrill of the win, the agony of defeat, or the human stories behind the bets, these films capture the essence of gambling in all its forms. We hope this list inspires you to explore these cinematic gems, each offering a unique perspective on the risks and rewards that define the gambling experience. Gambling has always been a rich vein for filmmakers to mine, offering narratives filled with risk, high stakes, and the intriguing personalities drawn to this world.

Lucky Number Slevin (

‘Mississippi Grind’ must be watched for its honest approach and the simple but universal message that it tries to convey. It’s a film that has good intentions, but unfortunately that alone doesn’t guarantee the quality of the film. ‘Even Money’ focuses on several seemingly unrelated people whose lives are ruined by gambling addiction. It’s one of those movies where you understand what the filmmaker is trying to convey or express right from the first scene.

Rounders

The movie is very lighthearted and entertaining and features clever plot twists and witty dialogues. One of the most satisfying aspects of it is the power of wit demonstrated by the protagonist. Despite formally moderate success, “A Big Hand for the Little Lady” is considered a charming Western comedy with decent humor and suspense.

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The worst gambling addicts are the ones who seem to be addicted to losing yet always think they have a shot at winning, and Eddie Garrett (Jake Johnson) in Netflix’s original comedy film Win It All fits that bill perfectly. Eddie stupidly begins gambling the money in the bag and is somehow saved from himself in the end thanks to a small heart attack. Outside of Eddie’s hilarious misfortune and idiotic gambling logic, Win It All actually has an empathetic core and is a great advertisement for the benefits of addiction counseling. The Great Recession of 2008 made many people take desperate measures to get money and Killing Them Softly punches you in the mouth with the harsh truth that robbing a mafia poker game isn’t the way to go.

Casino Royale

A nickname like “Worm” is itself a red flag for a person, and it’s made even worse when that person has served time. Played by Edward Norton, Worm is one of those characters whom you hate to love, as his gambling habits tear Mike’s world down in a matter of days. William Tell (played by Oscar Isaac) lives a sad life, moving from one motel to the next, living out of suitcases and covering all the furniture in bedsheets. The story of “Tricheurs” revolves around a talented but rebellious student from a working-class background who becomes involved with a group of students who engage in cheating and fraud to achieve academic success.

‘The Hustler’

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.

Molly’s Game

It tells the story of a professor who recruits 5 exceptionally smart students and exploits their abilities to win millions via gambling. The melodramatic style works against its ambitions and the film comes off as a mere exercise in sentimentality. Nevertheless, it’s a movie that must be seen for the intriguing true story it is based on. How the movie unfolds can make you forget that https://crazystar-casino.com/ it’s based on a true story of 6 MIT students who were taught by their unorthodox math professor Micky Rosa (played by Kevin Spacey) how to count cards. After several weekend trips to Las Vegas, they eventually took The Strip casinos for millions of dollars in blackjack winnings. “Croupier” is an understated film that simmers with quiet observations and a subtle neo-noir edge.

Rounders (

The Card Counter is a revenge thriller about an ex-military interrogator turned gambler who is haunted by his past. Although the MCU and DCEU exist separately from each other, there are instances where each studio has referenced the other in their movies. The ’90s were the Wild West of fantasy films, rife with experimentation before the genre found its way to Middle Earth. If you’re looking for thrillers, these underrated features on Netflix are guaranteed to deliver the tension you seek. And it was of course a massive success in theaters, raking in $469.3 million on a $35 million budget. It chronicles the tale of Phil, Alan, Stu, and Doug as they travel to Las Vegas for Doug’s bachelor party.

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By exploring themes like obsession, addiction, deceit, and redemption, some of the top movies about gambling reveal the complex nature of human beings and the consequences of their actions. “Eight Men Out” is a sports drama based on the true story of the 1919 Black Sox scandal caused by the eight players who wanted to make big money from sports bettors. It shows an impressive moral dilemma between personal choices and the impact on careers and reputations.

In order to pay that debt, the four friends get in way over their heads when it comes to acquiring those funds through illegal means. Ocean’s Eleven isn’t just one of the greatest gambling movies, it could appear on lists for the best heist movies, best George Clooney movies, best movies from Las Vegas, and even best movies snubbed by the Academy Awards. The story follows the unlikely friendship between two gamblers who meet at a poker game and form a bond over their shared love for gambling. “California Split” explores the highs and lows of their gambling adventures as they travel from one casino to another in California. The movie is full of excitement and the lure of gambling but it also shows characters’ personal lives and how their choices impact their lifestyles.

George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon lead a supporting crew that consists of actors like Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, Casey Affleck, and Elliot Gould. It’s easily the most well-assembled cast any gambling film has to offer, even if all its characters in the end stifle the overall pacing (and realism, for a different time) of the film itself. Along with The Hangover and a select couple of others, Ocean’s Eleven (2001) by Steven Soderbergh is one of the most popular gambling movies ever made. Sure, it’s a heist film as well, but the featured location of said robbery is of course a Las Vegas casino. The main characters in these films are upping the ante by risking their lives on the big score, falling into debt or addiction—or trying to game the system. Sometimes, they’re running underworld operations; sometimes those involved are super spies.

High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (

This is a classic American film noir crime drama about a cynical gambler who becomes involved with a corrupt casino owner and then meets a woman and falls in love with her. As the plot unfolds, the protagonist has to solve his problems trying to protect himself and those he cares about.”Dark City” is known for its dark and moody atmosphere with its shadowy visuals and morally ambiguous characters. The story of “5 Card Stud” begins with a poker game where one of the players is caught cheating. Years later, in a remote town, the players mysteriously start getting murdered one by one. The movie combines elements of the classic Western genre with a murder mystery plotline.

• Eventually, she begins running her own game, which attracts movie stars, mobsters, and politicians alike and became “the most exclusive, high-stakes underground poker game in the world,” as the book cover proudly proclaims.
• Samuel L. Jackson’s character, Jimmy, only complicates matters further and inject a little violence into their dynamic.
• Matt’s character (Mike McDermott) ends up losing a ton of money during a poker game against a Russian gangster.
• Trying to keep up with all of the twists in Lucky Number Slevin is almost as difficult as picking a winner in a horse race but just as entertaining.
• Scorsese’s signature cinematic style—sharp dialogue, epic storytelling, and vivid violence—elevates Casino to a classic.
• Thankfully, this list goes through the trouble of finding 30 of them and are required viewing for movie buffs everywhere.

The film tells the true story of Molly Bloom, a former Olympic-class skier who becomes involved in hosting high-stakes poker games for wealthy and influential players. The main themes of this movie are power, greed, and the conflict between legality and morality. “Molly’s Game” was positively assessed for its dynamic directing style and strong performance.

• Oscar Issac plays card counting wizard William Tell who teaches himself how to count cards in a military prison to practice the patience and restraint from succumbing to the darker impulses that landed him in prison in the first place.
• The two enter a mentor-mentee relationship centered around a Reno casino, and Sydney even becomes a father figure for John.
• The film holds an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it garnered $450.7 million on an $85 million budget.
• Matt Damon stars in this movie all about placing big bets and fighting to escape crippling debt.
• Richard Dreyfuss stars in “Let It Ride,” a comedy about a day at the races that turns into an unbelievable winning streak.

Jessica Chastain delivered one of the strongest, most dynamic female performances of the year as she showed how one woman stood up to the most powerful men in the world without flinching. Like most gamblers, Mike loses more than just his money—but that doesn’t stop him from driving towards the lights of Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker. In a sense, William is spending his days in sort of afterlife, given that his former life was spent in a military prison.

California Split follows both men on their wild journey as they look to truly hit the jackpot. Bleek’s right-hand man, Giant, played by Lee himself, is in deep with his bookie for gambling debts, putting his best friend in jeopardy. The film comments on the themes of friendship and loyalty, no more evident than in the relationship of Bleek and Giant.

A down on his luck college professor hatches a get rich quick scheme with the aid of three students of his choosing. After being banned from the casinos within Ontario and Quebec, the professor relies on his card-counting experts to take his place at those casinos and gamble their way to big money. The drama surrounding the professor’s debts and the ways in which his young protégés attempt to wipe them way makes this film a supremely absorbing experience. The movie runs the gamut of things a viewer would expect to find in any great movie on gambling; greed, deception, money, power, and even murder.