The history of humanity is inescapably linked with the history of gambling no matter how far back in time we go. Some forms of gambling have taken place since time immemorial. Although the types of games have diversified significantly since, the passion for gambling has not left humanity.
That said, it’s no surprise that studio heads in Hollywood thought that the buzz and drama that naturally comes with gambling would translate perfectly to the silver screen – and they were spot on. Some gambling-themed movies have grossed over $450 million, becoming all-time classics. Let’s take a look at some of the movies that achieved significant results both in revenue and in their depiction of gambling activities.
Casino Royale
When Casino Royale came out on November 14, 2006, it instantly became a major hit worldwide, and many people regarded it as one of the best James Bond’s movies. Any questions about Daniel Craig’s acting talent were thrown out almost immediately as soon as the movie was released. As can be seen on the infographic from Casino Sites, Casino Royale received excellent reviews on both IMDB (8/10) and Rotten Tomatoes (95/100). Also, the movie earned resounding $599 million on a $150 million budget.
Rain Man
Although Rain Man does not fall neatly into the gambling genre, casino wagering scenes were most certainly an integral part of the movie. According to many, Dustin Hoffman’s performance was one of the most powerful in cinematic history, and he deserved nothing less than the Oscar he won for it. Expectedly so, the movie ended up as the highest-grossing movie in 1988, raking in over $354.8 million worldwide with a production cost of only $25 million.
Ocean’s Eleven
Rare were the movie remakes that were better than the original. Ocean’s Eleven is that rare gem. Steven Soderbergh’s remake of the Rat Pack original from 1960 is a stylish heist movie featuring many Hollywood A-list actors including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, among others. With a production of $85 million, Soderbergh did a marvelous job at taking the basic premise of the original and updating it to reflect the advancements in advancements of the 21st century.
The chemistry between the actors was incredible, particularly between Clooney and Pitt. In fact, the whole crew got along pretty well as they reportedly gambled off set. Rumor has it that George Clooney (who played Danny Ocean, the mastermind of the entire plot) lost 25 consecutive hands when he was playing with his main co-stars Brad Pitt and Matt Damon in real life.
Although Ocean’s Eleven definitely isn’t Oscar-worthy, it’s highly recommended for blockbuster entertainment and sheer star power.
As you can see, gambling movies have become quite popular in Hollywood circles. There are a ton of exceptional gambling movies out there; some even became all-time classics. All these movies encapsulate the world of gambling and what it means to be a gambler.
Stranger Things Season 5 premieres November 26th & episodes are over an hour long!
Primitive War 2: A sequel is currently being written!
Murderbot (2025) series official SecUnit concept art by Dane Hallett!
Not Bad For a Human – the Lance Henriksen autobiography is back after 10 years with new features!
