Given the popularity of casinos and the cultural significance of cities such as Las Vegas, it is little surprise that so many of the highest-grossing movies over the years have been set in casinos. In many respects, there is something uniquely cinematic about casinos.
In this sense, it’s not very surprising that filmmakers have returned to the casino again and again for inspiration for thrillers, dramas, romances and action-packed adventures. This is one of the main reasons casinos have maintained such wide popularity for over 100 years.
Another key reason is that they have stayed ahead of the curve with the latest technological developments. Casinos have gone from iconic institutes on the Las Vegas strip to huge multi-billion-dollar digital enterprises.
The most recent trend has seen casinos move into digital assets and cryptocurrency. It won’t come as a surprise to see crypto casinos featured in movies soon. Whether it is the main character playing a Plinko game with crypto, instead of the traditional Pachinko slot machine, or a scene featuring bitcoin slots, this digital trend has become the new normal.
Oceans 11
Oceans 11 is truly one of the all-time great casino movies, and it is no surprise that it managed to kick-start one of the most popular movie franchises ever.
Oceans 11 features Danny Ocean — freshly released from prison — planning his next heist to steal a cool $150m from three of the most profitable casinos on the Las Vegas strip: the Bellagio, the Mirage and the MGM Grand. To throw a wrench in the works, all three of these casinos just happen to be owned by Terry Benedict, who stole the heart of Danny’s wife, who is played by Julia Roberts.
To pull-off the heist, Danny Ocean recruits a motley crew of his friends and former colleagues, which includes the always cool Brad Pitt. The team plan the heist to take place during a popular boxing match when they expect the entirety of Vegas will be pre-occupied. Unfortunately for Danny and the team, however, things do not quite go according to plan!
If you are looking for a star-studded movie that strikes the perfect balance between action, suspense and comedy, you can’t go wrong with Oceans 11. Look for it on Netflix, or any other popular streaming platform!
Casino
Out of all the casino movies listed in this article, there are arguably few with the same caliber of director that the 1995 classic ‘Casino’ has going for it.
Released just a few years after his Oscar-winning ‘Goodfellas’, Casino has the low-level mobster Sam “Ace” Rothstein taking over the Tangiers Casino. Although he was successful at first, over time, Ace gradually loses control of both the casino and himself.
A trigger-happy enforcer played by Joe Pesci, a hustler ex-wife played by Sharon Stone, a con-artist ex-partner played by James Wood, and a revolving crew of corrupt politicians all put Ace in increasing amounts of danger as he tries to get things under control.
Casino is a tale of greed, deception, money, power and violence. Scorsese manages to perfectly capture the darker side of the glitz and glamour we usually associate with Las Vegas. If you are looking for a casino movie with compelling, yet often highly unlikable, characters, we heartily recommend checking this classic movie out!
Rain Man
Another classic movie in the casino movie genre is Rain Man.
Directed by Barry Levinson and featuring both Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, this heart-warming story received a string of critical accolades, including eight nominations and four wins at the 61st Academy Awards.
The plot revolves around Charlie Babbitt who, upon hearing about his estranged father’s death, returns to his hometown to look after his autistic older brother played by Dustin Hoffman. Initially motivated by the prospect of getting a slice of his father’s $3m inheritance, Charlie checks his brother out of the mental institution where he was being cared for and returns to Los Angeles with him in tow.
It is at this point that Charlie learns of the true extent of his brother’s incredible intellectual gifts, eventually putting them to work in Las Vegas. However, as much as this film is about how adept Raymond is at counting cards, this is ultimately a film about compassion, kindness and embracing brotherly love.
Casino Royale
Although this one isn’t strictly a ‘casino’ movie in terms of being set completely in a casino, we can think of few other action films where gambling plays so central a role.
Released in 2006, Casino Royale was Daniel Craig’s first outing as James Bond. It was also the Bond franchise’ attempt to reboot the series and to deliver a more realistic sense of action. With this in mind, it makes complete sense why the director, Martin Campbell, chose to base so much of the action in a casino.
Casino Royale has special agent James Bond embarking on a high-risk mission to prevent La Chiffre — a dangerous mob banker — from winning a high stakes poker game. As you might expect, this mission triggers a highly explosive sequence of events that tests Bond to his limits!
