Money heists, tense high stakes tournaments and eventful, sometimes out of control, celebrations – casinos are the heart of some of the most iconic and thrilling scenes in well loved movies. While some popular films use casino gaming as a central theme and main setting for its events, others feature these venues for just a short time at an important point in the story to add excitement or suspense.
Such films are particularly popular with those who like to play casino games, either at land based casino venues or on online casino sites and mobile apps. Casino gaming has increased rapidly in popularity in recent years as the choice of games and game operators has grown exponentially, hybrid games like bingo slots have added even more excitement to the player experience.
While there are hundreds of films featuring casinos that you may have seen, here are just some of the most memorable casino scenes, including those from classics like the 80s Rain Man to the much more recent Blade Runner 2049:
21 (2008)
First on the list is 21, starring Jim Sturgess, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey, a film based on a true story about six MIT students and their professor who become experts in card counting in order to make big gains on the Las Vegas casino scene.
The main character of the film is Ben Campbell, a highly intelligent student based in Boston. He has a desire to transfer from MIT to the Harvard School of Medicine in order to begin his training to become a medical doctor. However, the huge fees are a barrier to him and he is desperate to find a way to fund this dream in spite of his working class background.
Ben’s Maths professor introduces him to five other students who are skilled at card counting in the game blackjack. Ben joins them and learns their skills, and while he hopes just to make enough to cover his tuition money, things soon get out of hand and he finds himself in
trouble.
One particularly captivating scene when Ben (played by Sturgess) is at the blackjack table with $10,000 and progresses towards a big win. Through his in depth narration he explains to us, the audience, exactly how he is able to achieve this with his card counting tricks.
Rain Man (1988)
Another casino themed classic is Rain Man, this 80s blockbuster starred Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, who played brothers Charlie and Raymond. Charlie realises that his autistic brother has special mathematical abilities and a brilliant memory and seeks to use these to his advantage.
A key scene in this film is when Charlie takes Raymond to a blackjack table, his first game was somewhat of a disaster with him first hitting 18 but then busting unexpectedly with a Queen. However, Charlie sees how Raymond’s abilities could be used for card counting and decides to use him to win big at the tables.
Soon the casino catches on to the pair’s money making antics and have video evidence of what they have been doing via the casino’s security cameras. Charlie is later able to use their substantial winnings to cover his debts after some time spent at Los Vegas’ top venues.
Eventually, while Charlie learns to appreciate Raymond as a brother and not just a mechanism for money making, he must return to the institution where he lives. In a heartwarming moment Charlie promises he will be there to visit Raymond in just a couple of weeks time.
The film was nominated for and won numerous awards, including Academy Awards titles for Best Actor (Hoffman), Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
The Hangover (2009)
The Hangover is a highly rated series of comedy films starring big names, including
Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis. In this particular movie, a group of friends decide to visit Las Vegas for a weekend of fun as a bachelor party for their soon to be wed friend.
There are a whole load of disastrous events that take place over the course of one night, including the decision to steal $80,000 worth of poker chips from a gangster. In the infamous casino scene, Alan uses his casino card counting abilities (inspired by the films 21 and Rain Man) to make the group some serious winnings in hopes of repaying their debt.
While the events have you on the edge of your seat throughout, The Hangover comes to a satisfying conclusion following their return home from the trip.
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Also worth a mention is Blade Runner 2049, which takes place in a mysterious post-apocalyptic setting and is a sequel to 1982 Blade Runner. Bounty hunter Deckard finds himself trapped in a former casino lounge with the replicant on his trail. An epic shootout follows.
