For decades, casino movies have filled theaters in America and globally, offering a visually dramatized experience that rekindles the rush, euphoria, and casino lifestyle.

With countless hours of cinema depicting casinos throughout the years, we set a goal to try to make a tier list and rank some of the best casino movies ever made. In the article, you can find movies that either depict casinos as the main subject of the film, where all the action happens or mainly focus on various types of gambling that can be found in casinos.

Our Picks and Recommendations

By going through numerous hours of cinema, with our choice we think we have a perfect blend of movies that depict what casinos truly are and how can one hand or roll can determine if you are going to live a life of luxury or plummet you down to the darkest places in life. These are our top picks:

• Casino
• Rain Man
• Casino Royale
• 21
• Ocean’s Eleven
• The Gambler
• Croupier
• Rounders
• The Cooler
• The Hangover

Let’s dive into these cinematic gems and see how they uniquely capture the thrilling highs and perilous lows of the casino world, offering viewers a compelling glimpse into the allure of gambling and the dramatic stakes involved.

Casino (1995)

Of course, we were going to start the list with one of the most iconic Las Vegas flicks. Martin Scorsese’s Casino is a 1995 mob movie, with prime Rober De Niro playing the manager of a casino and an all-star supporting cast, including frequent De Niro/Scorsese collaborator Joe Pesci. De Niro has built a career playing tough-guy mobsters. Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein, his character in Casino, is deeply connected to the mafia in one way or another and gets into trouble at every given moment.

Alongside being a brilliant film, Casino offers a documentary-style look into the inner workings of a casino. Panning and tracking shots from blackjack tables to the ‘Holy of Holies,’ the count room, offer a cinematic casino experience unlike any other film before or after.

The Gambler (1974)

The main plot of the movie follows Axel Freed, a school teacher whom his friends and family know as a pretty down-to-earth guy. But if we take a look behind that everyday teacher, we can see a gambling addict who slowly but surely is heading down the pit of despair.

Freed steals money from his mother and heads to Las Vegas to throw his last ‘Hail Marry’ and try to win all of the money that he has lost in the past. The Gambler is a perfect flick that can unravel the  implications of gambling addiction and how deeply it can affect a person’s life. This film is also featured on the Top10Casinos’ movie list, alongside some other casino classics that definitely deserve your attention.

Rain Man (1988)

While there is a more comprehensive message Rain Man conveys about the relationship of two brothers, gambling is also at the forefront. When Charlie (played by Tom Cruise) discovers that his late father placed all of his fortunes in trust that supports his long-lost older savant brother, he sets out to find him.

In the road trip that the two brothers take, Charlie learns that his autistic older brother is also something of a mathematical prodigy and wants to use him as a get-rich-quick scheme. The primary idea is that Raymond can count cards, and the blackjack tables become their target.

Casino Royale (2006)

The debut of Daniel Craig as our favorite spy comes in the 2006 action-drama Casino Royale. Alongside his intrinsic charm, our 007 is a multifarious agent with a knack for gambling. In this James Bond flick, one of the best scenes is when Bond heads to Montenegro for a high-stakes poker tournament.

He is sent to participate because Le Chiffre, a globally wanted financial terrorist, is also involved in the tournament, winning the multi-million dollar prize. Bond has to go up against him. He must win to stop the funds from going into the hands of the terrorists.

21 (2008)

While the movie starts as a laid-back story of a med student trying to get by and fund his education, it takes a big turn when Ben Cambell gets an invite to an exclusive after-school club.

Because of his gift with numbers, his math professor, played by Kevin Spacey, invites Cambell to be part of a group of talented students who use their gift for counting cards. After various luxurious and heavily planned trips to Las Vegas, Cambell and his accomplices start winning big at the blackjack tables.

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

Without a doubt, the most stacked star-studded cast in our list is Ocean’s Eleven. This crime movie depicts Danny Ocean (played by George Clooney) and his plan to execute the biggest casino heist of all time. Robbing one Las Vegas casino isn’t enough, so he sets his site to the 3 most popular casinos in the city.

Along the way, we can see the intricacies of a casino establishment as Ocean explains the plan to his crew. We can take a look at how casinos operate, the inside of the casino’s vaults, and their foolproof security. Well, nearly foolproof.

Croupier (1998)

Croupier is a British movie which, while it does set the scene in one of many London casinos, follows the life of a writer who has turned a casino croupier for money. The amazing Clive Owen is the main character and leads the movie as he goes to his casino shifts, painting the picture from the other side of the table.

While he may be uninterested and solely on the job for the funds, the casino life takes a toll on him and also sucks him in. While it might not have the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas strip, Croupier subtly shows us the colder side of what happens in a casino.

Rounders (1998)

We had to throw in another poker movie, and Rounders needs to be on the list as well. This 1998 drama directed by John Dahl follows Mike McDermott (played by Matt Damon), a New York law student who obviously has a talent for poker.

While Mike decides to quit his life of gambling and focus on his studies, his friend gets out of jail and needs help getting money to pay off his debts. This pulls Mike into the underground poker scene as he tries to help out a friend.

The Cooler (2003)

William H. Macy plays Bernie, a casino employee like you have never seen before. Instead of a dealer, cashier, or security, Bernie is a known bad omen or a jinx that goes around the casino, stands next to players, and somehow gives them bad luck.

Alec Baldwin is the casino boss who hires Bernie because he has an unpaid debt. At one point, Bernie falls in love and starts to love his life again. As his personal life takes a turn, his bad luck seems to fade away.

The Hangover (2009)

‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,’ and in the family The movie follows 3 friends, Alen, Phil, and Stu, as they head to Las Vegas for their friend Doug’s bachelor adventure.

Everything seems to be going fine until they wake up hung over the next day with Dough missing. Throughout the movie, we see the three friends turn Vegas upside down to find Doug facing hilarious and dangerous misadventures. There’s also plenty of casinos and gambling involved that gave birth to a famous meme involving Alan (Zach Galifianakis) counting cards in blackjack to save Doug.