Top 10 Casino Movies

7. The Gambler (1974)

It turns out more than a few entries on this list of great casino movies deal with addiction. When it comes to The Gambler, it’s best to check out the 1974 film, which is far superior to the remake that hit theaters in 2014 starring Mark Wahlberg. What makes The Gambler strikes a chord because it shows that anyone can fall into the temptation of winning big. James Caan is a Harvard professor with a seemingly perfect life who is secretly drowning in gambling debts. He’s a far cry from what you might picture in your head when it comes to gambling addicts, but this movie just proves how desperate the lifestyle can make people. It’s a terrific film that will leave you whispering “no” as you watch a likable character spin further and further out of control.

6. The Hangover

They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and if The Hangover is any indication of that then it’s probably for the best. While it spawned two horrible sequels, the first entry to the franchise is actually a pretty solid comedy. It follows three friends who wake up with no memories of the night before and have to retrace their steps to find their lost fourth companion. While this is one of those rare casino movies without a lot of gambling, their adventures take them all over Sin City and through more than a few gambling halls. It’s filled with plenty of cameos too from all kinds of celebrities. The funny thing is that this franchise is a lot like the addicts from the previous two casino movies, it just didn’t know when to stop.

5. Casino

This is the point in this casino movies list where we start to see behind the scenes at how the house always manages to win big. While it might not be one of Martin Scorsese‘s most appreciated films, Casino does star a lot of the big names you might associate with the director. Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci lead the film along with Sharon Stone as Las Vegas pit bosses who have ties to the mafia. It’s not a movie for the squeamish though since things don’t usually end well for the people who welch on the debts they owe these two professional tough guys. Still, it’s a film that fans of gangster movies will love, and it fits perfectly on this list. Like most Scorsese flicks though, things aren’t all smooth sailing for the criminals at the center of this tale.