Casinos have always been a popular setting in movies and TV series. Regardless of whether the writers and directors want to have an undercover agent deliver intel to a contact person or whether they’re enjoying a martini that’s been shaken and not stirred, a casino can act as a fantastic backdrop for a compelling story. 

In this article, we’re going to be discussing some of the best and most entertaining casino movies around. All of these can be found on a variety of streaming services, but due to how the broadcasting rights work, different titles are available in different countries and it’s impossible to cover the best place to watch every movie for each country in this text. Regardless of whether you’re someone who enjoys playing slots online or at a live casino or if you have no personal interest in casinos whatsoever, there is still plenty of enjoyment to be found in watching these types of movies. 

Casino Royale (2006) 

Casino Royale from 2006 was the first movie about agent 007 where Daniel Craig played the lead role. The movie acted as a bit of a reboot of the entire franchise and gone were the days of oneliners and exploding pens. Instead, 007 moved towards a grittier and rawer experience, slightly more anchored in realism. In the movie, we follow 007 as he is tasked with playing and winning a high-stakes poker game organized by an arms dealer by the name of Le Chiffre. Well-choreographed action and exciting poker scenes are the building blocks of this movie and if you haven’t seen Casino Royale previously you’re in for a real treat in regards to the viewing experience. Even if you’ve watched the movie before it can be well worth a re-visit and it still holds up incredibly well. 

21 (2008) 

21 is, as suggested by the name, a movie that revolves around one of the most popular casino games of all time: blackjack. In the movie, we follow our main protagonist as he is approached with an offer by one of his professors at MIT. The professor is the head of the blackjack team that every weekend flies out to Vegas to count cards and make a killing at the blackjack tables. The movie is based on a true story, even if certain elements of the plot and characters have been switched or changed to better fit into the overall narrative of the story. In reality, much of the drama and excitement is heavily exaggerated in the movie, but for those with an interest in blackjack and casinos overall, this is one of the best movies for depicting the action and intensity of a casino floor.  

Ocean’s Eleven (2001) 

Ocean’s Eleven might not be a movie that’s strictly about casinos, but due to the fact that George Clooney, Brad Pitt and the rest of the star-studded cast are robbing a casino it still has a place on this list. Ocean’s Eleven is now more than 20 years old but still holds up incredibly well today. In the movie, we follow the dashing and gentlemanlike thief Danny Ocean as he assembles a team to pull off a heist of a maffia-owned and controlled casino in Las Vegas. Saying anything else would ruin the viewing experience. Even if Ocean’s Eleven is a movie about the heist of a casino, it can work wonderfully as a family movie watched on a Friday night. There is action and excitement in the movie, but it’s all very family-friendly and it’s not very violent at all. 

Casino  (1995)

Casino is a movie that many consider to be amongst Martin Scorsese’s best works and follows Robert De Niro as the boss of a mafia-controlled and owned casino. This is one of the best depictions of the casino scene in Las Vegas during the ’70s and ’80s and it follows two boyhood friends with ties to the mafia and how everything eventually comes crashing down for the both of them. The movie also boasts a star-studded cast with names like Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci. Casino was also nominated for a number of different awards.