4 Casino Movies That Actually Focus on the Gambling

Over the years, there have been numerous movies set in the Nevada desert city of Las Vegas, such as Ocean’s 11, The Hangover and Showgirls. Meanwhile, a few other directors have chosen to focus on the age-old pastime of gambling in their films, as is the case with Rain Man and Casablanca.

However, there are not that many movies that have successfully managed to combine both of these genres into one movie. This is particularly surprising since we all know Las Vegas is best known for its casinos and gambling - in fact, people go from all over the world to play there.

What’s even more stunning is the fact that many of the movies that do concern casinos and gambling are now reasonably classic, with no similar upcoming movies on the horizon. These days, Hollywood is very much focused on the comic book movie genre, with new movies coming out almost every month throughout 2017. Ironically, these movies have received their own casino games - for example, you can find Marvel Superheroes at Guts online casino. In fact, casinos and gambling are arguably more popular than ever as online casinos allow players to access games whenever they please. So, the fact there aren’t many casino-gambling movies being made anymore is baffling.

As we believe Hollywood is seriously lacking in this department, we thought we’d remind them of some of the few casino and gambling movies from the past to try and reignite the spark:

California Split (1974)

What begins as a fun pastime soon becomes the holiday of a lifetime for two best friends who decide to take their gambling skills to Reno, Nevada. Sports betting, horse racing, poker; you name it Charlie Waters (Elliot Gould) and Billy Denny (George Segal) are willing to play it. Most of the time, they’re even pretty good at the games they play.

Alas, lady luck isn’t always on Charlie and Billy’s side and before long the duo must contend with underground bookies, lies, scary bars and everything else that the dark side of Reno has to offer. We won’t give too much away, but needless to say, life gets in the way of the pair’s betting spree.

Hard Eight (1996)

Elderly Las Vegas native Sydney (Philip Baker Hall) is compelled to teach young, naive newcomer John (John C. Reilly), who has recently reached rock bottom, the tricks of the trade. For a while, everything goes perfectly well as John learns how to succeed in the casino, but everything changes once he meets Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a cocktail waitress by day and prostitute by night.

Soon after meeting his new girlfriend, John also comes across intimidating “security guard” Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson), and all the fatherly tutelage Sydney has bestowed upon John is truly put to the test.

The Croupier (1998)

This modern film noir follows the tale of Jack Manfred (Clive Owen), a smart but stern croupier working at a London casino while writing his debut novel. Unfortunately, Manfred isn’t really getting anywhere and it soon becomes clear he has lost his lust for life, spending most of his time simply observing life at the casino.

That is, until he begins a relationship with a high-roller who offers Manfred £20,000 to rob the casino. Before long, Manfred realises that his job could actually be the best inspiration in the world for his floundering novel. Eventually, Manfred manages to publish the novel he has slaved over for years, although his time at the casino has severely transformed his priorities.

The Gambler (1974)

Finally, how could we possibly compile a list of casino movies that actually focus on the gambling without mentioning the pinnacle of betting movies: The Gambler. Before Mark Wahlberg starred in the movie of the same name in 2014, James Caan was Alex Freed - an incredible College Professor who soon becomes interested in the world of gambling.

After a somewhat challenging time on the scene, Alex decides it’s time to put his money where his mouth is and win big to claw his girlfriend, his mother and his life back from the underworld. Again, we won’t give too much away as this film is a real emotional rollercoaster, just know you won’t be disappointed.