Top 10 Gambling Movies to Watch

There are lots of great gambling movies that have been made over the years and below you will find our top 10 list and all-time favorites. These include some classic and modern films with topics on everything from cheating casinos to online gambling. We’re sure you’ll agree though, they are entertaining and well worth watching.

  1. 21: This gambling movie is based on a true story and is based around a maths professor who trains a group of students to count cards and win big in Las Vegas. It’s based around the card game of blackjack and if this interests you be sure to check out the popular blackjack games for real money
  2. Casino Royal: This James Bond film stars Daniel Craig and features an awesome high-stakes poker tournament. Filled with the usual 007 action and fighting scenes, this is a great gambling movie that everyone will enjoy.
  3. High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story: This is a great biographical gambling movie that follows the story of Stu Ungar, the only poker player to ever win three WSOP Main Event Tournaments. The movie covers the highs and lows of his rise to fame as well as how he eventually lost most of his money. A great film for poker fans.
  4. The Cooler: This movie is about a man whose luck is so bad that he is employed by casinos to stand at tables of gamblers on winning streaks to help break their luck and return the edge to the casino. Of course, when the cooler’s luck changes so too does everything else in this highly entertaining film.
  5. Rounders: This movie stars Matt Damon and tells the story of an entrepreneur who pays for university by winning at the poker tables. There are plenty of famous actors including Edward Norton and John Malkovich as well as high stakes games and a poker baron to defeat. The authentic depictions of poker strategy make this movie a must see.
  6. Ocean’s Eleven: This movie stars George Clooney who is looking to get revenge on the casino owner that had him put in prison. Clooney gets a crew together in a big to rob three casinos in the one night. Another excellent film with a great cast of big name actors as well as plenty of action.
  7. Killing Them Softly: This movie is all about poker and centres around an amateur crook hired by a poker player that wants to rob a game being hosted by mafia bosses. The mafia aren’t about to let this go unpunished and begin investigating the heist. With lots of action and murder, this gambling movie staring Brad Pitt and Ray Liotta is definitely one to watch.
  8. Hard Eight: This movie is about a pro gambler that is past his prime and features a stunning cast including Samuel L Jackson and Gwyneth Paltrow. It combines black humour with the study of high stakes casino gambling.
  9. Croupier: The star of this move is Clive Owen who plays Jack Manfred, a writer who is forced to fall back on his chip handling skill when his writing career doesn’t take off. The movie sees Jack getting involved with deceit, adultery, and even murder in this casino gambling action film.
  10. The Cincinnati Kid: A classic movie from 1965, The Cincinnati Kid is all about poker and captures the excitement of game. Steve McQueen is the poker prodigy and he does a fantastic job especially during the movie’s iconic last hand scene. This is a definite must watch for poker fans.

 That’s our top 10 gambling movies of all time, but there are dozens more that didn’t make the list. You can visit IMDB where you’ll find the ratings and scores for each of these films as well as information on others that we haven’t listed here.