The RMOC blog likes to celebrate all things gambling. Today, we’re going to remember the best gambling movies of all time.
Gambling is a broad topic, so there are gambling movies to suit most genres. You can watch movies about casinos, poker, and even pool hustling, and there are movies about specific games. Gambling movies can feature elements of action, comedy, romance, or combinations of all of these.
Here’s a list of top gambling movies which you can enjoy if you’re planning to spend the night in and watch TV. We’ve listed these gambling films from oldest to newest for your convenience.
The Hustler (1961)
Not all gambling movies are about casino games or poker. This one is about a pool hustler called Fast Eddie Felson. Paul Newman plays Fast Eddie, and this film was shot in New York, so it has a gritty, real feel to it. It’s all about a small-time gambler and hustler with big dreams. We won’t say any more than that you’ve got to watch this classic gambling movie.
Maverick (1994)
This is a comedy movie about gambling featuring Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster. It follows Bret Maverick (Gibson) a small-time con artist on his quest to enter a high-stakes poker tournament. This movie is set in the old West and is hilarious. It’s a great watch if you’re looking for something like and mood-lifting.
Casino (1995)
Shifting gears now, Casino is one of the greatest mob movies of all time. It’s certainly not a comedy – it falls squarely into the true-crime category and follows the movement of the Chicago mob into Las Vegas. Robert DeNiro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci bring this cinematic masterpiece to life. Even all these years later, Casino is one of the best gambling movies you could watch.
Rounders (1998)
Rounders falls into the drama category and was one of the earliest hit movies for both Matt Damon and Edward Norton. It’s about two friends who play high-stakes underground poker to pay off a huge debt to the wrong type of people. Rounder is a word used to describe traveling poker players, so that’s how this movie got its name. This is one of the greatest poker movies of all time. In fact, we’re going to say it’s THE best poker movie of all time.
Casino Royale (2006)
Glitz, glamour, and high-stakes games is par for the course in James Bond movies. If you want something action-packed and thrilling with elements of gambling in it, this Bond movie is for you. It’s not as gambling-focused as the other movies on this list, but the main plot is Daniel Craig (Bond) trying to bankrupt a terrorist financier in a high-stakes poker game. If you haven’t seen Casino Royale yet, you’re in for a treat.
21 (2008)
It’s always great to watch true gambling stories played out on the big screen. This is a cinematic tribute to the MIT blackjack team which won millions of dollars from casinos around the world by card counting and playing as a team. Kevin Spacey leads the team, including Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) and several others on a quest to bring down the house. The fact this is a true story, which makes it all the more interesting.
Runner Runner (2013)
This film is the story of a college student called Richie Furst (Justin Timberlake), who plays online poker to pay his tuition fees. When he proves by statistics that he was cheated, he arranges a meeting with the offshore operator he feels cheated him out of his money Ivan Block (Ben Affleck). Before he knows it, he’s helping him run his offshore gambling empire and is involved in a world of glamour, crime, and a fight for his life. It’s an epic gambling movie which looks at the dark side of online gambling.
The Gambler (2014)
There are two versions of this movie – the original was made in 1974, and this one was made in 2014. This one features Mark Whalberg as the main character, a college professor and problem gambler who has seven days to pay off a loan shark or die. This gambling movie is full of drama and twists, and it all comes down to a single spin of the roulette wheel in the end. Both versions are worth a watch.
Molly’s Game (2017)
This is another true story about Molly Bloom, a beautiful young athlete who ran one of the most exclusive high-stakes poker tournaments in the world. Movie stars, athletes, mobsters, and businesspeople played in Molly’s game for a decade before she was arrested by FBI agents in the dead of night. This movie is her story, and it’s one of the best gambling movies of all time.
The House (2017)
Sometimes you just need to laugh your ass off, and Will Ferrell is usually the man for the job. This gambling comedy is about him and his wife running an illegal casino out of their home in the suburbs. As the cash begins to stack up, the trouble begins. Plenty of hilarious moments make for a feel-good movie based on casino games.
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