9 Best Casino Movies In The Business

Uncut Gems (2019)

The first movie on our casino movies list is Uncut Gems: Adam Sandler, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, and Eric Bogosian star in Uncut Gems, a 2019 American murder thriller film. Howard Ratner (Sandler), a Jewish-American jeweller and gambling addict in New York City’s Diamond District, must reclaim a valuable gem he purchased to pay off his debts in the film. The film got positive reviews, with numerous critics praising Sandler’s performance as the best of his career.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

The film was a box office and critical triumph upon its initial release; it was the fifth highest-grossing film of 2001, with a worldwide gross of $450 million. The Ocean’s Trilogy is made up of two sequels directed by Soderbergh: Ocean’s Twelve in 2004 and Ocean’s Thirteen in 2007. In 2018, Ocean’s 8, a sequel with an all-female lead cast, was released.

Casino (1995)

Our casino movies list wouldn’t be complete without this one. The film Casino follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro), a Jewish American gambling expert handicapper who is hired by the Chicago Outfit to handle the Tangiers Casino’s day-to-day operations. Nicky Santoro (Pesci), a “made man” and Sam’s pal, and Ginger McKenna (Stone), a streetwise chip hustler with whom Sam marries and has a daughter, are two supporting characters.

The film follows Sam as he runs the casino, the challenges he faces on the job, the Mafia’s connection with the casino, and the eventual deterioration of his relationships and position as Las Vegas evolves. Sam is based on the life of Frank Rosenthal, often known as “Lefty,” who operated the Stardust, Fremont, Marina, and Hacienda casinos in Las Vegas for the Chicago Outfit from the early 1970s through 1981.

Casino Royale (2006)

The events of Casino Royale take place at the start of Bond’s tenure as Agent 007, as he prepares to receive his license to murder. Bond is on a mission to bankrupt terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro; while on the mission, Bond falls in love with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), a treasury employee tasked to furnish the money he needs for the game.

The film kicks off a story arc that will be continued in Quantum of Solace, which was released in 2008.
The casting for Craig, who was announced in October 2005, involves a nationwide hunt for a new actor to replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. Interior sets were developed at Barrandov Studios and Pinewood Studios. Location filming took place in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)

Guy Ritchie wrote and directed the 1998 British-American crime comedy film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, which was produced by Matthew Vaughn and starred Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, Steven Mackintosh, Sting, as well as Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham in their feature film debuts.

The plot revolves around a self-assured young card sharp who loses £500,000 in a rigged game of three-card brag to a powerful mafia lord. He and his companions decide to rob a small-time gang operating out of the flat next door to pay off their debts..

Rain Man (1988)

This one is an old school gambling movie, you all know it. Rain Man was released on December 16, 1988, and grossed $7 million over the weekend, making it the second highest-grossing film of the year (after Twins). It topped the charts for the weekend of December 30 – January 2 in 1988, with $42 million. With almost $172 million in box office receipts, the film became the highest-grossing American picture of 1988.

The picture was a worldwide success, grossing approximately $354 million dollars. It depicts the story of aggressive, self-centered young wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise), who learns that his estranged father has died and left his multimillion-dollar estate to his other son, Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), an autistic savant, of whom Charlie was completely oblivious. Only Charlie’s father’s beloved vintage vehicle and rosebushes remain. Susanna, Charlie’s girlfriend, is played by Valeria Golino. After meeting Kim Peek, a real-life savant, Morrow constructed the character of Raymond; his characterisation was based on both.

Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)

The picture performed well in its debut weekend, topping the North American box office. Despite having 250 more screens than Ocean’s Twelve, it had a somewhat lower opening weekend, grossing $36 million versus $39 million for the latter. Ocean’s Thirteen had grossed $117.2 million in the United States and $311.4 million globally by the end of December 2007.

Based on a script by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, filming began in July 2006 in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The film premiered as an Out of Competition screening at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, and was released in the United States on June 8, 2007. The picture was a box office success, grossing $311 million worldwide.

Ocean’s Twelve (2004)

You know we had to introduce these gambling movies. Steven Soderbergh directed Ocean’s Twelve, a 2004 American heist comedy film. The sequel to Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and the second edition of the Ocean’s franchise, the film stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, and Bernie Mac.

On December 10, 2004, the picture was released in the United States, and critics gave it mediocre reviews. It was a commercial success, collecting $362 million worldwide and ranking as the tenth highest-grossing film of 2004. Ocean’s Thirteen comes after it (2007).

The Card Counter (2001)

Our last one on the casino movies list is a movie from 2001. Focus Features bought the film’s U.S. distribution rights in July 2020. On September 2, 2021, the picture premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and on September 10, 2021, it received a wide distribution. Paul Schrader wrote and directed The Card Counter, a 2021 American crime drama film. Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, and Willem Dafoe star in the film. Martin Scorsese is an executive producer on the film.

On September 2, 2021, it made its global premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival. Focus Features released it on September 10, 2021.