Movies about gambling are risky because they have to tell the story of a gambler who risks everything to play just that one round. And admittedly, many of them depict the story of the protagonist ending up winning, it is always at the cost of something. In the meantime, the protagonist’s life always ends up a mess, and that’s certainly not something anyone wants to see on their TV screen.

Still, there are plenty of amazing gambling movies, with amazing stories to tell, and exciting scenes of casino buildings. online casino players can learn a lot from these movies, both positive and negative, things that can help them play or make them consider their gambling habits. We’ve compiled a list of the best critically acclaimed classics that definitely need to find their place in the film library of every online casino enthusiast.

Casino

Casino is not only the number one film about gambling, but also the overall favourite film of all time. Starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and the mesmerising Sharon Stone, it tells the story of a mob-controlled gambling scene in Sin City – Las Vegas in 1975. A casino owner with mob ties, played by De Niro, and a debt collector with his own agenda played by Pesci, try to run the casino operation. Sharon Stone is the wife of the casino owner, who also has a shady past.

Not to go into too much detail and spoil the film for you, you should know that it is directed by Martin Scorsese, a film that is more than worth seeing. It’s vulgar, it’s violent, but it’s also extremely masterful, so the first chance you get, make sure you watch it.

21

This film is second on our list because it has a fantastic plot. A young and brilliant MIT student from Boston is in debt, trying to pay his bills while dreaming of enrolling at Harvard and becoming a doctor. Learning that he cannot afford $300,000 for four years at this prestigious school, he becomes disillusioned. That’s when his unorthodox maths professor introduces him to a small secret club made up of five other brilliant students. The professor forms a gang in which he trains them to count blackjack cards and thus wants to speed their way to victory in the casinos.

The highly trained gang goes to Vegas and starts winning hundreds of thousands of dollars, counting cards and sending signals to each other. Ben just wants to earn enough to get into school, but his appetite grows and he becomes corrupted by greed. The film ends when Ben puts himself, his group and his professor in danger, precisely because of this greed. Spoiler alert, the movie is inspired by a true story, as really the MIT Blackjack Team, as they are known now, really did this stunt with a card counting strategy. So, if you really want to know how it all turns out in the end, make sure you watch the movie.

Rounders

Another great movie with a great cast. This time you are taken on an adventure along with Matt Damon, Edward Norton and John Malkovich. How does it sound? The film is a little different from the previous two, as it revolves around the world of high-stakes poker. Fun fact: Matt Damon is a professional poker player in real life.

The thing is, the plot in this film is pretty simple. The main characters are attracted to a high-stakes poker offer that has the potential to win huge amounts of money. But, the film revolves around the obsession of winning what they have lost, cheating, and in the long run, the players strive to achieve the impossible: chase the losses and get it all back. The story can be quite emotional as well, as the main character played by Damon, has a girlfriend to whom he promises to go back to law school and focus more on their relationship, which he doesn’t do, of course. If you’re intrigued by what you know so far about the film, put it on your list to watch. Definitely worth spending a few hours on it.