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Movie Flashback: Top Gambling Movies

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Gambling is one of the most popular past times around the world today, which has been reinforced with the onslaught of the online world. Nowadays, it is not just the local casino in town available, but popular mFortune online casino games and other exciting brands with literally hundreds of titles to discover and enjoy. Plus, let’s not forget the National Lottery and the millions to be won nearly every day of the week.

It is precisely this thrill and exhilarating feeling that players experience which makes gambling the perfect theme for movies to be based on. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there’s been some epic gambling-based films released over the years. So, whether you’re into gambling or not, everyone is sure to enjoy these hit films that we’ve picked out below.

Casino Royale

Casino Royale was the first James Bond movie to star Daniel Craig as the secret agent, and it’s by far one of the best when it comes to gambling. The film sees Bond discover that terrorist financier Le Chiffre is looking to raise funds by playing high-stakes poker, so in typical Bond fashion, he races to take on Le Chiffre at the table. Casino Royale is an epic film and one where gambling and poker play a key role.

Cincinnati Kid

We continue with the poker trend here with what many consider to be the finest poker movie of all time. Steve McQueen takes on the role of Eric “The Kid” Stoner, a young poker player looking to make a name for himself. To do so, he must beat Lancey “The Man” Howard, who happens to be in town at the time. As well as high stakes poker being on the agenda, Cincinnati Kid is also about ambition, achievement, friendship and integrity.

The Hustler

The Hustler, very much like Cincinnati Kid, was released in the 1960s, and like Cincinnati Kid it does a great job in being about more than gambling. The movie is based on the novel by Walter Tevis of the same name, with the story centred on pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson. Felson is determined to be the best pool hustler around and can only make this a reality by beating Minnesota Fats. While the film is about Felson’s rise to the top as a pool player, it’s also about his growth as a person too.

Casino

Casino is one of the most loved gambling movies of all time for a several reasons. It does a great job combining gambling, a casino and crime all into one story. It’s also a film directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, boasting a cast which features Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone. Casino sees Sam “Ace” Rothstein, played by De Niro, tasked with running a casino on behalf of the mob, but as you would expect, things don’t exactly go according to plan, in what is an action packed and gripping movie.

The Gambler

The Gambler, released in 1974, tells the story of Axel Freed, an English teacher based in New York City. Portrayed by James Caan, while Freed appears to be the model citizen to most, beneath the surface he is being tormented by a gambling addiction which is quickly destroying his life. Freed’s debts begin to mount up, and while others come to his rescue and bail him out, he can’t stop gambling.

Check out this infographic, made by the CasinoSites team, which illustrates the most interesting ups and downs of celebrities gambling life.

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