The Best Casino Movies of All Time

The high-stakes, intensely glamorous, and deeply dangerous environment of the casino has provided the absolute perfect backdrop for Hollywood storytelling for decades.

If you love the thrill of the casino floor, these absolute masterpiece films are required, essential viewing.

Martin Scorsese's Masterpiece: Casino

Starring Robert De Niro as the brilliant, meticulous casino executive Sam "Ace" Rothstein, the film provides an incredibly accurate, documentary-style look at the Las Vegas of the 1970s.

However, it is ultimately a deeply tragic story of massive greed, betrayal, and the eventual, violent collapse of the Mafia's desert empire.

• "Casino" is based heavily on the true story of Frank Rosenthal and the infamous Stardust casino
• The film features incredible, detailed voiceovers explaining exactly how casinos launder and secure massive amounts of cash
• It brilliantly depicts the "Eye in the Sky" paranoia that defines modern casino security culture

Rounders (1998): The Soul of Texas Hold'em

While "Casino" focuses entirely on the massive house operations, "Rounders" is the absolute definitive masterpiece exploring the gritty, intense life of the professional poker player.

Many credit "Rounders" as the primary, driving cultural force that ultimately ignited the massive global Texas Hold'em boom in the early 2000s.

The Ultimate Vegas Heist Film

If you want to completely ignore the brutal, depressing reality of gambling addiction and simply enjoy the massive, ultra-cool glamour of modern Las Vegas, "Ocean's Eleven" is flawless.

It is a highly entertaining, flawlessly executed popcorn movie that makes you instantly want to put on a sharp tuxedo and order a martini at a high-stakes table.

They remind us that while the flashing lights and free drinks are incredibly glamorous, the fundamental foundation of the building is built entirely on taking your money.