2020 has been a terrific year for streaming giants Netflix and for the online gaming industry. With people spending more time indoors, subscriptions to the world’s most popular streaming service have skyrocketed. In addition to that, more and more people are signing up to online casino sites as the taboo surrounding online gambling dissipates. If you’re one of the thousands of people that have fallen in love with gambling recently and have a passion for films read on to find out the best casino films on Netflix Canada.
Casino (1995)
Plenty of directors use gambling as a theatrical device to build tension and drama in their pictures, but plenty of them fail. Any director looking to maximise the impact of gambling as a theme should take note of this film by Martin Scorsese. The lead character Ace, who is portrayed excellently by Robert De Niro runs a casino for the mafia along with his friend Nicky who is played by Joe Pesci. The film gives viewers a behind the scenes look at the way that traditional Las Vegas casinos were run back in the day. As you would expect from a Scorsese film there is high drama and action throughout as well as plenty of old casino nostalgia for gambling enthusiasts to enjoy.
Rounders (1998)
Poker has long been portrayed in film and TV thanks to the natural drama and tension that the game provokes. However, few films have captured the passion and drama of Texas Hold ‘Em as well as the 1998 film Rounders, directed by John Dahl. The movie follows two friends who engage in a series of underground poker tournaments to help them pay off their student debts. Along the way they come up against a series of obstacles, none bigger than big-name underground card shark Teddy KGB, portrayed fabulously by John Malkovich. The lead character Mike McDermott played by Matt Damon comes up against Teddy KGB countless times throughout the movie before their final showdown. Without giving too much away about the outcome of the film, Rounders has been praised by poker pros for its authenticity and realism. If you want to get the blood pumping and learn about poker at the same time, then Rounders is the film for you.
Runner Runner (2013)
If you enjoyed the them of Rounders then you’ll love the plot of this 2013 film staring Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake and Gemma Atherton. The film is loosely based on the life of Nat Arem, a professional poker player who worked as an accountant at Deloitte and helped to uncover cheating in online poker. Whilst Arem’s life may undoubtedly be interesting, the use of statistical modelling to uncover cheating in online poker rooms isn’t exactly worthy of Hollywood coverage. Therefore, director Brad Furman added in a sprinkling of fictional action and plot twists to engage viewers.
The film doesn’t disappoint and thrills viewers from the very first minute to the last. And many viewers will not stop there, some will go on to seek their own thrills and entertainment by playing their own casino games. Online casino games have grown immensely popular and one of the reasons for this is due to people having a more relaxed attitude towards gambling, especially as gambling films and scenes are now more common. Many film watchers tend to want to become that real-life character they have just watched so there is no wonder there are many new players signing up for an online casino site. A popular casino classic game that brings excitement and thrills to players are roulette games who are known for their tense and suspension as players eagerly what the wheel spin. Providers like 888 casino have now introduced live versions of roulette games to add even more suspense to the game.
Win It All (2017)
We’re all aware of problem gambling and the effects that it can have on people’s lives, but for lead character Eddie, portrayed by Jake Johnson, gambling becomes a real problem. Already struggling with his gambling issues, things get a lot worse for Eddie when he meets Michael. Michael gives Eddie a bag to look after promising to give him thousands of dollars if he holds on to it. Shortly after Eddie finds out that Michael has been arrested and decides to tentatively have a look and see what’s inside. He discovers a shedload of cash in the bag and as you would expect soon decides to start blowing it on his gambling addiction. The film follows Eddie’s descent into chaos and explores the repercussions of his actions which at time have laugh out loud consequences.
Croupier (1998)
This British Neo-Noir film was the film that launched Clive Owen’s career in Canada and it’s still a great watch today. The lead character Jack Manfred is an aspiring writer struggling to make ends meet. In order to earn a bit of money he takes a job as a croupier and soon finds himself drawn into the casino world. Gambling and the intricacies of the casino quickly take over his life and as a result his personal life begins to deteriorate. In addition to that, Jack falls into the murky world of hustling and soon finds himself in way over his head.