5 movies inspired by casino and gambling

With all its glamour and fortune, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that the casino world is a welcome source of inspiration for the film industry. It’s such a rich and vibrant universe that there’s always a story to be told, no matter what the angle is. Let’s look at some of the most famous films in which, for better or for worse, Hollywood tipped its hat to the casino and betting world.

Ocean's 11 (2001)

Robbing over 160 million dollars from 3 of Las Vegas’s most famous casinos in one vault after a high-profile boxing match: smash-and-grab job, huh? Slightly more complicated than that. Danny Ocean (George Clooney) gathers a team of specialists to make the hit of a lifetime – and, to settle a personal score with casino owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Did you know that this veritable thrill ride of a movie is actually a remake of a 1960 movie starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr?

Casino (1995)

When legendary Hollywood director Martin Scorsese teams up with Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci for a project named Casino, you just know that it’s going to set the bar for what a movie shining a light on the inner workings of the casino world should be. In this classic crime epic, De Niro and Pesci play best friends that end up against each other in a brutal competition for a Las Vegas gambling empire. Casino is regularly hailed as one of the best crime dramas ever – with good cause!

The Cooler (2003)

Casinos can rise or fall on sheer luck, just as their players can. In 2003’s comedy The Cooler, a casino hopes to gain an edge by employing “coolers”, people whose inherent bad luck turns other people’s lucky streaks around. For truly down-on-his-luck cooler Bernie Lootz (William H. Macy), everything changes when the beautiful Natalie (Maria Bello) falls in love with him. All of a sudden, he’s no longer unlucky, much to the chagrin of his greedy boss, casino owner Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin)…

Casino Royale (2006)

This 2006 remake of the James Bond classic features Daniel Craig as the infamous secret agent 007 after he’s earned the 00 moniker and the licence to kill that comes with it. Amidst hair-raising action all over the world, Bond’s first mission as 007 takes him to the Casino Royale in Montenegro. Here, he’s drawn into a high-stakes poker game against Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a villainous private banker who’s funding international terrorists… It’s up to Bond to play his opponent into bankruptcy before it’s too late!

The Hangover (2009)

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas: this motto is characteristic of many parties that take place in the City of Sin. The bachelor party in The Hangover can’t even remember what happened! All that Alan (Zach Galifianakis), Phil (Bradley Cooper), and Stu (Ed Helms) know is that groom-to-be Doug (Justin Bartha) is missing. Hilarity ensues as the men set out to find their friend on Las Vegas’s famous Strip. For casino fans, the raucous blackjack card-counting scene is the icing on the cake!