Top 10 Movies about Gambling

Hollywood is just as intrigued with gambling as the rest of the world. There are many gambling films to choose from, that range from exciting to emotional. These films explore the rise and fall of casinos, gambling addiction, and how gambling has affected people’s lives.

While there are hundreds of gambling movies to choose from, our betting experts have rounded up a list of the greatest gambling movies of all time. Let’s take a look at the top 10 movies about gambling.

A List Of The Best Gambling Movies

Are you in the mood for a movie that’s as exciting as hitting a jackpot slot? Below are the top 10 movies about gambling.

🔟  Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Ocean’s Eleven has a star-studded cast, featuring George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon (just to name a few). A lot of gambling movies that make our list today are serious films. Ocean’s Eleven is different from the others. This is a great movie for when you’re in the mood for some fun and action.

Danny Ocean (George Clooney) is determined to pull off the crime of the century. He wants to pull a heist on 3 casinos at the same time. His ex’s new lover just happens to be the owner of these casinos. Naturally, he rounds up a group of trusted friends to pull off the ultimate casino heist.

9️⃣  21  (2008)

21 is a true story starring Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, and Jim Sturgess. This story centres around a young M.I.T. student that wants to go to Harvard but can’t afford the tuition. He’s invited into a secret group, where a math professor is teaching select students how to count cards for blackjack.

These students go on weekend trips to Las Vegas to put their skills to use. While everything seems too good to be true in this gambling movie, it also shows how a person’s greed can take things out of control.

8️⃣  Cincinnati Kid  (1965)

While Cincinnati Kid is one of the oldest movies on our list, it’s also one of the most exciting about poker. This movie follows Steve McQueen as the Cincinnati Kid, a young poker player who’s up for a challenge. He’s determined to prove his skills in a match against a long-time pro.

7️⃣  Uncut Gems  (2019)

If you’re used to seeing Adam Sandler in funny roles, you’ll be surprised by his performance in Uncut Gems. Sandler plays a jeweller with a gambling addiction. he owes $100,000 to a loan shark. Frustratingly, when he gets ahold of a smuggled gem and involved with an NBA player, things go from bad to completely out of control.

6️⃣  California Split  (1974)

Our favourite gambling film from the 70s is California Split. This movie features George Segal as a casual gambler and Elliot Gould as a pro-gambler. These two meet one night in a poker game when they’re both at the wrath of another player.

As these two men spend more time together, the pro begins to show the casual gambler his way of life. But, when loan sharks and prostitutes get involved, things begin to get messy for these gamblers.

5️⃣  Rounders  (1998)

Matt Damon makes our list again in another great gambling movie. In Rounders, Damon plays a student who just gambled away his tuition movie. His best friend is an ex-con (played by Edward Norton) who was just released from prison. Together, these two get into the underground world of poker to win the money back.

4️⃣  Owning Mahowny  (2003)

Owning Mahowny is a true story about a Canadian bank manager with a gambling addiction. It is one of the best movies that shows how much harm problem gambling can cause. Philip Seymour Hoffman is a gambling addict who also has access to a multi-million dollar account.

Over an 18-month period, this man embezzled over $10 million from his workplace. This gambling film shows how dangerous placing bets can be when it gets out of control.

3️⃣  Casino  (1995)

Casino is a classic 90s film directed by Martin Scorsese. It features an all-star cast with Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, and James Woods. This movie follows Ace Rothstein (DeNiro), a gambling expert with connections to the mafia. As Ace manages his casino operations, he deals with a lot of problems on the job. Interestingly enough, this includes his hustler wife and hot-head business partner.

2️⃣  Molly’s Game  (2017)

Molly’s Game is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, played by Jessica Chastain. It features a star-studded cast with Idris Elba, Jeremey Strong, and Micheal Cera. After a skiing injury, Olympic skier Molly Bloom gets involved in running underground poker games. Her clients included celebrity A-listers, athletes, and other wealthy people in LA and NY.

This film follows Bloom’s story from her injury to becoming an FBI target.

1️⃣  Casino Royale  (2006)

Casino Royale is at the top of our list. James Bond fans can get a dose of their favourite spy in this action-packed gambling film. Bond has a license to kill and he’s determined to take down La Chiffre, a bomb-making terrorist in Madagascar. La Chiffre organizes a high-stakes game of poker that James Bond enters to force the criminal into bankruptcy and thus asylum with the British government in turn for valuable information about his clients.