Casinos and Gaming on Film

The world of casino gaming extends to movies, online, and numerous other venues. 






Since the dawn of movie making as an art, the high stakes of the casino world have been an inherent part of cinema. From the early years of classic mob movies all the way to the modern classics like Scorcese's Casino or the tainted friendship tale of Rounders, the seedy criminal underbelly of the gambling world has remained a part of how we watch movies and entertain ourselves. For some reason, the world of gambling, crime, and the technologies of the modern casino world still remain a vibrant part of the motion picture world as audiences still flock to see movies that feature casinos and the people that run them. 

It's easy to break out a list of some of the best casino films and I'm going to try to be succinct in my effort here as there are way too many to list. But, when reviewing the best entries of the past few decades, several immediately come to mind. Wayne Kramer's 2003 film, The Cooler starring William H. Macy is an excellent character study that was one of the first movies to allow Macy to stretch his legs as a dramatic actor. Still riding the successes of Boogie Nights, Macy absolutely shines in this film. As previously mentioned, Rounders is another excellent character study that assisted in the continued successes of Matt Damon and the always inspiring Edward Norton. Thirdly, Leaving Las Vegas may not center too much on the casino lifestyle but concentrates on the effects of the city in the desert and all its proclivities.  Of course, Casino, Swingers, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas all capture different aspects and/or merits of the Vegas/casino lifestyle. 

Other movies have spawned franchises and trilogies that center on casinos. Films like the original Ocean's 11 and the George Clooney series were both hits that helped reinvigorate interest in gambling while dramatic films like 21 showed a whole new side of how the casinos can be taken advantage of by criminal masterminds. Continuing down the list, there are many more like Hard Eight, Bugsy, and The Gambler that each do their own thing while presenting varied tales of Vegas or gambling. 

For many, the experience stretches beyond the real world casinos and the cinematic world which lends us an inside look at differing tales of the gambling experience. The online casino world is a whole new environment which lets people do their thing right from the comfort of their computer screen. Some look for the best online casino bonuses when perusing for a way to gamble online. While film is a great escape into the world of interesting characters and dramatic stories, online gaming allows them to play their favorite games without the stench of cigar smoke and a drunken crowd. In the past couple decades, many people have abandoned the physical experience for the virtual world of online gaming. 

Casino gaming will always be with us, whether it's film, onsite gaming, or the internet based casinos which have taken the internet by storm. No matter what, people like to play their odds for the possible chance of becoming an instant millionaire.