30 Best Casino Movies of All Time

Casino Jack stars Kevin Spacey as a crooked businessman and lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who really did beat the casino. He defrauded Native American tribes, trying to build casinos on their reservations, to the tune of $85 million.

Although Spacey sparkles, the critics were cool about this ‘missed opportunity’ to tell a truly gripping story. If you’re at a loose end, on a mid-week night, it’s 108 minutes of shrug-worthy viewing.

IMDB: 6.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 39%

Where to watch? Amazon Prime Video

The late great Philip Seymour Hoffman plays compulsive gambler Dan Mahowny in this true story about bank clerk Brian Molony, who embezzled more than $10 million, from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, to support his gambling habit.

Hoffman’s spellbinding performance perfectly captures the emptiness of the compulsive gambler. In Atlantic City, he is treated like a god; a high roller, with deep pockets. In the end, it all crashes. IRL: Molony served two years and never gambled again.

IMDB: 7.0/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 78%

Would you bet against Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey – two rock star actors at the top of their game? Picking winners is exactly what Two for the Money is all about. On paper, this feature looks great. Unfortunately, a 22% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes had it limping home.

It tells the tale of tipster Brandon Lang (McConaughey) and sports consultant Walter Abrams (Pacino). In the beginning, Lang’s tips are on the money. Of course, It doesn’t last and drama ensues.

IMDB: 6.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 22%

Las Vegas stunt double Atlantic City is the setting for this Brian Da Palma feature, starring the irrepressible Nicolas Cage. It’s a tale of deception, boxing, bluff, and political assassination. Just a quiet night in.

Sadly, Da Palma’s stylish direction, and a soundtrack from Ryuichi Sakamoto, couldn’t save this confused, and ever-so-slightly bonkers, conspiracy thriller.

IMDB: 6.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 43%

Shot in Las Vegas, Lucky You should have been the nuts. Sadly, it was the rags. Even with poker legend Doyle Brunson teaching stars Eric Bana and Robert Duvall to play Texas Hold’em, the film folded at the box office.

It tells the tale of wannabe poker star Huck Cheever (Bana) battling for a seat at the WSOP, whilst struggling with assorted women and his poker pro father L.C. Cheever (Duvall). Inevitably, they meet at the final table and the audience slips into a coma.

IMDB: 5.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 28%

Will Ferrell… Amy Poehler… a comedy. What could possibly go wrong? Sadly: a lot. The House tells the tale of a couple, prepared to go to any length to fund their daughter’s college tuition. In this case, that length is an underground casino

Although The House has its moments, it scores only 20% on Rotten Tomatoes, due to a ‘feeble script’ and a serious lack of laughs. There is good news: watch the trailer and you’re done.

IMDB: 5.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 20%

Great news: finally, a film about the world of online gambling. Forget Las Vegas, we’re heading to Costa Rica with Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake, and Gemma Arterton. It’s a tale of cheating, drugs, and organized crime.

Excited? Don’t be. Runner Runner is hobbled from the starting gate. Described as a ‘bland thriller’ with very little payoff, it scored a lowly 7% on Rotten Tomatoes. Runner Runner? More like Snoozer Snoozer.

IMDB: 5.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 7%

California Split is the first of three films, in our list, about gambling, shot in the 1970s. Directed by the brilliant Robert Altman (M.A.S.H., The Long Goodbye, Nashville), it stars Elliot Gould, George Segal, and some seriously wide lapels.

The tale of two compulsive gamblers is a fabulous insight into 1970s Las Vegas, complete with a cameo from Amarillo Slim. New York Magazine’s Vulture.com described it as ‘the greatest film about gambling ever made.’ This is one to watch.

IMDB: 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

Nicolas Cage, James Caan, and Sarah Jessica Parker all earn their money in this fun – but predictable – screwball comedy. The story: A couple go to Las Vegas, plan to get married, groom loses a fortune, trades in his bride-to-be.

Cage is gloriously manic, as smooth operator (and superior poker player) Caan whisks his fiancée off to the Caribbean. This is a popcorn, sofa, movie, complete with sky-diving Elvis impersonators. 

IMDB: 5.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 64%

Fab cast. Great script. The Hangover is the ultimate Las Vegas film, complete with every big night out cliché. Missing teeth, Mike Tyson, a tiger, an absent groom, and a wedding. It’s the ultimate bachelor party, with a movie that does it justice.

Zach Galifianakis and Bradley Cooper are perfect, alongside ‘hooker newlywed’ Ed Helms. With a great cameo from Mike Tyson, this is the movie that puts the Sin into Sin City. Funny as.

IMDB: 7.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 79%

Do you remember how fantastic National Lampoon’s 1983 film Vacation was, starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo? Roll forward 14 years, and three sequels, and the Griswold family is still trying to enjoy some quality time together away from home.

Sadly, with a 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the consensus is that they should have given Las Vegas a wide berth. Tepid, flat, and not worth a gamble is the verdict. 

IMDB: 5.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 15%

Nicolas Cage won a Best Actor Academy Award for his role in Mike Figgis’s heart-wrenching classic Leaving Las Vegas. It tells the tale of suicidal alcoholic Ben Sanderson, who heads to Sin City to drink himself to death.

He meets sex worker Sera – played by Elisabeth Shue (also nominated for an Oscar) – and the couple form a relationship. The film is about finding love in the darkest places. Based on a true story, the author John O’Brien killed himself two weeks after learning his book was to be made into a film. Strong, brilliant, memorable. 

IMDB: 7.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Warren Beatty turns in one of the best roles of his career as gangster and Las Vegas founder Bugsy Siegel. With Ennio Morricone on soundtrack duty and Barry Levinson at the helm, it’s a solid movie about the early days of Sin City.

Bugsy won the Golden Globe for best drama and the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for best film. It was pipped at the post for an Academy Award by the Silence of the Lambs. If you have ever wondered why Las Vegas popped up in the desert, check out this rather wonderful movie.

IMDB: 6.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 84%

If you like your heist movies served with a side order of slick, this Steven Soderbergh sequel will hit the spot. In fact: if you like Ocean’s 11 and 12, there is a better than average chance that you will dig this movie.

Ocean’s Thirteen stars the same crew of oh-so-cool gangsters and thieves, stylishly causing chaos and getting revenge on a fellow gang member gone rogue. The plot is a tad convoluted but – who cares – when they all look so cool.

IMDB: 6.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 20%

The Cooler is a fabulous movie starring the massively underrated William H. Macy; a man with a face so ‘lived in’, it could open up as a hotel. Macy steals the show, in this low budget drama about a man whose mere presence ruins the night for everyone else.

In the film, Macy’s luck changes and love blossoms. He no longer ‘cools’ the tables, much to the chagrin of casino owner Alec Baldwin – who also turns in a great performance. It’s a great peak behind the scenes in Las Vegas.

IMDB: 6.9/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 77%

The brilliant – and way underused – Ben Mendelsohn (Gerry) teams up with Ryan Reynolds (Curtis) in a road movie about two gamblers chasing their luck. Curtis is Gerry’s lucky charm. They tour the southern states before ending up in Las Vegas.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has a low budget vibe. This all adds to its gritty feel. It’s all been done before but Mendelsohn is worth a watch on his own.

IMDB: 6.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Movie buff trivia: Hard Eight is the first full length feature from director Paul Thomas Anderson – and it’s a cracker. Lean storytelling, great casting, and a tale about a gambling pro, his protégé, and a hooker with a heart of gold, all add up to a winning formula.

Philip Baker Hall and Samuel L Jackson duke it out, as John C. Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow fall in love. FYI: a ‘hard eight’ is slang for two fours in a game of craps. Moody and beautifully shot. One to check out.

IMDB: 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 82%

James Caan is one of those actors who – pretty much – always elevates a film to a higher level. In the Gambler, Caan plays gambling addict and literature professor Axel Freed. In debt, borrowing from everyone he loves, knee deep is debt and trouble.

Freed inevitably gets wrapped up with the mob and – cue drama. The Gambler is considered to be peak James Caan, and one of the performances of his career. He’s on fire. It’s a great movie.

IMDB: 7.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 82%

There are very few British films about the world of gambling. Croupier is one. Clive Owen is remarkable as bored, cynical, London writer and casino croupier Jack Manfred. Director Mike Hodges creates a slow burner; a neo-noir thriller.

Jack is seduced by a beautiful woman, signs up to a scam, everything goes wrong. It’s all great material for the book he is writing. Croupier is a class act and a fascinating look at the London casino scene.

IMDB: 7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

LSTSB is Guy Richie’s first feature length film and – arguably – his best. The soundtrack, alone, ensures this film is worth a watch. Throw in Richie’s Tarantino-style direction, and a cast of eccentric characters, and you have a perfect night in.

Funny, violent, and full of quirky plot twists, LSTSB is a movie with its tongue planted firmly in its cheek. Do you sell a favor, geezer: check it out naaaaaaaw…

IMDB: 8.1/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 75%

Based on a true story, Molly’s Game is the directorial debut of Hollywood writer Aaron Sorkin. It tells the tale of former mogul skier turned high roller poker room hostess, Molly Bloom. She sets up The Cobra Lounge in Los Angeles and drama ensues.

Starring Jessica Chastain in the lead role, with support from Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, and Michael Cera. The real Molly Bloom was ‘blown away’ by Chastain’s performance. With an 84% Rotten Tomatoes rating, she is not alone.

IMDB: 7.4/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 81%

Paul Newman. Tom Cruise. Martin Scorsese. With a trio like that at the helm, it has to be good. Right? Truth is: it was pretty good. The Color of Money is the sequel to the classic 1961 film The Hustler.

Newman’s performance as Fast Eddie Felson won him the Academy Award, but the film always sits in the shadow of its 25-year older prequel. Good but not great. 

IMDB: 7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

If you thought Texas Hold’em only arrived when online poker hit the Internet, get ready for an education, as Steve McQueen breathes life into upstart poker pro Eric Stoner. This classic 1965 film also stars Edward G. Robinson, Karl Malden, and Ann-Margret.

It was the breakthrough film for director Norman Jewison and considered one of the best movies ever made about gambling. It’s fifty years old but as brilliant today as it was on its release.

IMDB: 7.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

How do you beat blackjack without cheating? It can be done. All you need is a system, the memory of an elephant, and a handful of students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 

In 21, Kevin Spacey plays professor Micky Rosa, who has a side-line running the MIT Blackjack Team. Using card counting and covert signalling, they increase their probability of winning at the casino and clean up. Based on a true story – it’s worth a watch.

IMDB: 6.8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 36%

It took the crazy combination of (Monty Python) director Terry Gilliam and Johnny Depp to breathe life into Hunter S. Thompson’s psychedelic paean to excess, drugs, alcohol, and insanity. Depp plays writer Dr Gonzo aka Duke, sent to report on a Las Vegas motorcycle race.

Seduced by Sin City, and a Mexican with a briefcase full of drugs, the wheels come off in style. Expect trashed hotel rooms, swarms of giant bats, ether inhalation, and carpets that move by themselves.

IMDB: 7.5/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 50%

It’s all about timing. On its release, Rounders was shrugged into ‘meh’ territory; a pretty good movie, with Matt Damon and Ed Norton working the high stakes poker circuit, and John Malkovich as Russian gangster Teddy KGB. Entertaining but nothing special.

Cue: the online poker revolution. With the explosion of Texas Hold’em and online gaming, Rounders developed a cult following. If you love poker, this atmospheric movie is essential viewing. 

IMDB: 7.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 64%

Is there a more iconic movie poker scene than Paul Newman and Robert Shaw, playing five-card draw on a train? The Sting won seven Oscars in 1973, including Best Picture. It’s a must-see movie about hustlers hustling hustlers getting hustled, as they hustle. Did we mention the hustle?

Paul Newman and Steve McQueen are at the height of their powers. The story is fabulous, the music is iconic, and that poker scene. When Robert Shaw’s character – mob boss Doyle Lonnegan – realizes his cheat has been trumped… it’s a thing of beauty.

IMDB: 8.3/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Steven Soderbergh’s film has a fabulous cast, with the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, and Matt Damon, but the real star of the show is Las Vegas. Shot in 2001, it gives Sin City some real sparkle.

It’s a heist movie, with a totally ridiculous plot but – who cares. It’s a rollercoaster, a riot, a romp down the strip, across the gaming floor, and back again. This is a Friday night favorite. Sit back and enjoy.

IMDB: 7.7/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

Casino is the ultimate casino movie; the clue is in the name. Martin Scorsese brings the Tangiers Casino to life, ably assisted by Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone. It’s the 1970s and the mob is running Las Vegas.

Based on the true story of Frank Rosenthal and the Stardust Hotel, Casino is 178 minutes of cinematic genius. De Niro is note perfect, no one does psycho better than Pesci, and Sharon Stone steals every scene she is in. Perfection!

IMDB: 8.2/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 78%

No prizes for guessing what film takes the number one slot: 007 = #1. The 2006 reboot launched Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond – and what a launch it was. Arguably, the best Bond film ever made. It’s certainly the best Daniel Craig Bond, according to both IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes.

The casino is central to this film. Bond defeats terrorist banker Le Chiffre playing Texas Hold’em. In the original book, the game was baccarat – a game of chance. Poker is a much better option. Can Bond bluff? Hell, yeah – and drink a dry martini (shaken not stirred) at the same time.

IMDB: 8/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 94%