The allure of gambling is obvious: a bit of luck can change your life dramatically as quickly as the needed card lands on the table in blackjack or roulette ball sets into the pocket you have wagered on. Gambling movies perfectly convey all this charm and can help you delve into the fascinating casino world of spinning reels, clinking chips, and shuffling cards without leaving home.

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Rounders

• Year of release: 1998
• Director: John Dahl
• Genre: crime, drama
• IMDb: 7.3

Released more than two decades ago, this movie eventually became a cult classic. Featuring youthful Matt Damon and Edward Norton, Rounders is a tale about two friends who venture into the world of high-stakes poker to repay the debt one of them has. The movie has earned the recognition and love of the audience due to the authenticity of its poker scenes, captivating storyline, and rich cast (including John Malkovich and Martin Landau).

Ocean’s Eleven

• Year of release: 2001
• Director: Steven Soderbergh
• Genre: crime, thriller
• IMDb: 7.7

Being set in Las Vegas and starring Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, and Andy Garcia, Ocean’s Eleven is the pinnacle of casino movies. The story revolves around robbing three Vegas casinos for $150 million. Even though the filmmakers do not go deep into the intricacies of gambling, they managed to create an excellent heist movie, which masterfully combines the adrenalin rush reigning in casinos with a well-planned robbery.

21

• Year of release: 2008
• Director: Robert Luketic
• Genre: crime, drama, thriller
• IMDb: 6.8

The movie is based on the true story of six MIT students who beat the house in blackjack for almost a decade. So, this cinematic masterpiece shows the science behind smart gambling as a group of students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology use their math skills to rob Las Vegas casinos of huge amounts after mastering card counting with their professor.

California Split

• Year of release: 1974
• Director: Robert Altman
• Genre: comedy, drama
• IMDb: 7.1

California Split is among the highest watermarks of ’70s cinema. As a buddy movie with Elliot Gould and George Segal in the leading roles, it explores the boys-will-be-boys friendship as well as features a lot of gambling scenes where the guys win and lose, get robbed, or just drink till their drops. As always, Altman fills his movies with eccentric characters and portrays casino games realistically, allowing you to feel the excitement and suspense that greet the actual gambling establishment.

The Sting

• Year of release: 1973
• Director: George Roy Hill
• Genre: comedy, crime, drama
• IMDb: 8.3

This is the most renowned example of gambling movies, a clever piece of filmmaking that has maintained its appeal through decades. The Sting holds seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, while the Library of Congress also selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. It’s a funny and captivating story of two grifters, played by Robert Redford and Paul Newman, and their attempts to con a mobster boss through horse racing and card games. The movie is perfect for everyone seeking a charming, nostalgic feel.

Molly’s Game

• Year of release: 2017
• Director: Aaron Sorkin
• Genre: docudrama, true crime, biography
• IMDb: 7.4

The movie relays the true life story of Molly Bloom, a former ski champion who had to end her sports career after a terrible accident. To keep herself busy, the woman decides to break into the world of underground poker and creates her own gambling club for the rich. Her players include sports stars, Hollywood celebrities, and business sharks, so the stakes are truly high. But one day, the FBI comes knocking, and Molly’s life takes an unexpected turn… The movie stars Jessica Chastain in the main role, with supporting efforts from Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, and Michael Cera.

The Card Counter

• Year of release: 2021
• Director: Paul Schrader
• Genre: drama, thriller, crime
• IMDb: 6.2

This recent gambling movie revolves around William Tell (amazing Oscar Isaac), an ex-military who switched to professional gambling. William boasts great card-counting skills and travels from one casino to another to hide from his former traumas. The movie feels like a continuous battle, as Tell tries to run away from his former life, but something keeps reminding him of it over and over again. Willem Dafoe and Tye Sheridan are in the cast too.

Casino Royale

• Year of release: 2006
• Director: Martin Campbell
• Genre: adventure, action, thriller
• IMDb: 8

If we are going to enrich our selection with a Bond movie (how could we not?), this will be Casino Royale. Besides being among the most renowned entries of the 007 franchise, it also stands out as the most action-packed picture ever filmed about gambling. Casino Royale features the toughest poker game in Bond’s career, where the agent goes head to head with a dangerous villain, Le Chiffre. Daniel Craig’s performance as 007 is simply amazing, while other stars include Eva Green and Mads Mikkelsen.

Casino

• Year of release: 1995
• Director: Martin Scorsese
• Genre: crime, thriller, drama
• IMDb: 8.2

Casino made cinematic history as one of the best gambling movies ever. Scorcese’s masterpiece reveals both the evil and bright sides of Sin City, where glamour and heady splendor are combined with greed, deception, and nasty cash deals. Of course, it would not be a Scorcese movie without crime and murder, so there’s everything you can expect from the genre. Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci – the star-studded cast alone sounds like it’s worth a watch.

Uncut Gems

• Year of release: 2019
• Director: Benny and Josh Safdie
• Genre: thriller, drama
• IMDb: 7.4

Uncut Gems is the very movie that makes you think deeply anytime you watch it. Adam Sandler performs outstandingly as Howard Ratner, a New York City jeweller who cannot cease to chase great wins while betting on sports. Hence, he borrows money from everyone in the town, including bookies, the mob, and even NBA legend Kevin Garnett, which drives him into a never-ending debt cycle. No doubt, Uncut Gems is a must for your next movie night.

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