Ballad of a Small Player: Here are 10 more Macao casino movies

From mobster films to romantic comedies, Las Vegas is alive and full of possibilities that have all been translated onto the screen and fully captured the quintessence of the city as Casino once did. 1995’s Casino is still recognized as one of Martin Scorsese’s best films, as well as one of the best films set in Las Vegas since it captures the essence of the city and the soul of the casino business. Las Vegas is renowned for its world-famous nightlife and various entertainment alternatives, hence, filmmakers are loaded with ideas when it comes to this city. Critics of the production have argued that many of the arguments made in the documentary were actually debunked and disproven over the years and that Fine should have done a better job of the narrative he put together in the end. Regardless, we still think this is one of the best gambling movies on Netflix and definitely worth seeing.

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As other casino gambling movies of all time, Atlantic City is a 1980 romantic crime film starring Burt Lancaster & Susan Sarandon, directed by Louis Malle. A gangster & aspiring blackjack dealer becomes involved in a dangerous scheme. Sally Matthews (Sarandon) relocates to Atlantic City, becoming a prominent blackjack dealer.

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Directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, and James Garner, “Maverick” is a lighthearted Western comedy with a poker twist. Gibson plays Bret Maverick, a charming gambler with a knack for getting into and out of trouble. When Maverick enters a high-stakes poker tournament with the hope of winning enough money to enter a winner-takes-all riverboat poker game, hilarity ensues as he navigates a series of misadventures and run-ins with colorful characters. Another option among the best casino films about gambling of all time is an action-adventure James Bond movie, Casino Royale. 2016 spy film starred Daniel Craig as James Bond, a British Secret Service agent with a license to kill. Bond plays Le Chiffre in a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale to topple his organization.

Let’s focus on the sports betting theme!

The city’s popularity among filmmakers is exemplified by Cultural Affairs Bureau data cited in a South China Morning Post report, which shows that roughly 110 film applications are made in the SAR each year. Most of these come from Hong Kong productions, although mainland, Taiwanese and Japanese features can also be found in the mix – along with movies from further afield. Macao has long been a magnet for international movies, thanks to its exotic mix of cultures, world-class casinos and bags of atmosphere.

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There’s the Shooter, wise and bitter and failed, who still remembers that he was once a Kid himself. If you’ve not read the book by Ben Mezrich then this US made-for-TV dramatised documentary will be a fascinating watch. It’s the story of a team of students from a US university who perfected a card-counting system that they used to take Vegas casinos for huge sums of cash. The combination of mathematical strategy and old-fashioned con trickery required to pull this off makes this a massively entertaining watch, if you can forgive the slightly cheesy American production values. With music by Giorgio Moroder and that man Dreyfus in a lead role it’s a real blast from the past, but still stands up to repeated viewing today.

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They set out to sharpen their skills, with Vincent eventually out-hustling the original hustler. Bolstered by an Academy Award-winning, tour-de-force performance by Newman, this Martin Scorsese film deftly navigates the dank pool halls with ease, ensuring the audience is racking up right beside his layered characters. Rosa himself is banned from entering casinos as his card counting skills are known to the establishments and they are not happy to be losing that much money to a trick. This gambling movie on Netflix is probably one of the most realistic ones as well, as card-counting systems in blackjack do exist and casinos need to be extra careful not to allow a player to take advantage of a weakness in their security.

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As Jack becomes increasingly embroiled in the world of high-stakes gambling, he finds himself drawn into a web of deceit, danger, and betrayal. If you have not watched some of these yet, roll under your blanket and get ready for a thrilling ride full of gambling, betting, and drama. Blackjack remains one of the few “skill” games at the casino and one where given the right conditions and the ability to fly under the radar of the watching staff a skilled team can still beat the house. But as you will find out from the film this doesn’t come without some serious consequences. The shady world of professional tipsters is pretty well laid bare here, but it also conveys the tension, adrenaline rush and mentally bruising nature of sports betting with real heart.

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Fun to watch and an Oscar darling, “The Sting” is about playing to win. Another great documentary series on Netflix, Untold takes a good hard look at some of the biggest scandals in sports – from match-fixing to doping and performance-enhancing substances. The episode we have in mind has to do with the story of Tim Donaghy, an NBA referee who was caught red-handed betting on his own games, and seriously putting the integrity of the game at risk. The movie follows the story of a young player, Jermaine Slagter, who ends up addicted to gambling and raking in steady gambling debts.

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Fans of the films have come to adore Craig’s portrayal of the British secret agent, and that all started here with Casino Royale. The film offers a profound look into the mentoring aspect of gambling, where experience meets raw ambition, set against the moody ambiance of casinos and race tracks. The nuanced performances by Philip Baker Hall and John C. Reilly add depth to the movie.

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His debt is eventually purchased by a match-fixing syndicate who see Slagter as an asset and push him to fix games in a low-tier division of the event. Kakegurui is Netflix’s highly acclaimed series about a girl who gets admitted to a school that teaches pupils how to gamble and cheat. Based on the award-winning popular Japanese manga, the TV series stays true to the original and creates a great gambling movie. The plot centers on the Hyakkaou Private Academy, which, as noted, is all about teaching its students to gamble.

The insights are nevertheless accurate and they will definitely help you not just enjoy the institution of gambling as fiction but look at the hard facts and come back to the green felt a much smarter player. This James Bond hit featured an incredible looking casino called the Golden Dragon Casino and was based in Macau. Many people after watching the movie wanted to visit this gambling establishment only to find it was non-existent. All the filming for Macau and the casino was actually done in England at Pinewood Studios. The movie has a great story, and the story was written by Anna Boden and Ryan Flick. In the movie, you’ll see some beginnings that worked great in their roles.

James Caan plays an English professor with a dangerous penchant for betting who’s consumed by his obsession. Through their portrayal of triumphs and downfalls, gambling movies remain a powerful lens through which we view and understand the complex tapestry of casino culture. Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci, “Casino” is a gritty and immersive portrayal of the inner workings of a Las Vegas casino empire.

High on suspense and complete with all the casino trappings—tumbling chips, stylish tuxedos, and martinis (shaken, not stirred)—this Bond film illustrates just how high the stakes can get at the casino table. Casino follows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (De Niro), a Jewish American gambling expert handicapper who is asked by the Chicago Outfit to oversee the day-to-day casino and hotel operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. Other significant characters include Nicky Santoro (Pesci), a “made man” and friend of Sam, and Ginger McKenna (Stone), a streetwise chip hustler whom Sam marries and has a daughter with. The film details Sam’s operation of the casino, the difficulties he confronts in his job, the Mafia’s involvement with the casino, and the gradual breakdown of his relationships and standing, as Las Vegas changes over the years. To effectively deliver the action scenes, the core cast members were thoroughly trained on unit tactics by retired US Navy SEALs. Uncut Gems follows the story of Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a jeweller gambling addict who tries to retrieve a pricey gem he had bought to cover his debts.

• The poker is almost an aside to what is more of a meditation on the role of luck in life and what gambling for a living can do to a man’s soul.
• With a weakness for betting on sports, no gamble is too big for the larger-than-life Howard, played gamely by Adam Sandler.
• But for a brief moment, before Spacey is being kidnapped and beaten in a hotel room, it’s an interesting look at the science behind smart gambling.
• There’s nothing the casino can do if someone’s playing hot and winning a lot of money—unless they send in “The Cooler,” anyway.
• Much of the action takes place in Studio City, which is fitting, given that the project was intended to be a promotional short for the integrated resort, which opened the same year in October.

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“Rain Man” earned an 89% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 90% from audiences, and it grossed $171.2 million in the U.S. Spacey is particularly checked-out here, and the movie was criticized for “whitewashing” in its casting, turning the mostly Asian-American real-life players into generic white people. But for a brief moment, before Spacey is being kidnapped and beaten in a hotel room, it’s an interesting look at the science behind smart gambling.

In Croupier, which translates to “dealer,” Clive Owen plays a struggling novelist who gets a job at the casino. Using the position as research for a new book, he finds himself getting pulled deeper and deeper into gambling-based crime. In addition to the casinos, the film crew also shot at the Macao Science Museum, Rua da Felicidade, Rua da Tercena and even a fictionalised version of Iong’s Magic Shop. Although the production went out of its way to film mostly on location in the city, many of the interior scenes, including the ones featuring Taipa Market and the Science Centre, were filmed on sound stages in the UK. The movie was released a few months before Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 Series of Poker main event. With new strict regulations on social distancing, Polish people shifted to working and playing from home.

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• Unfortunately, He loses that stone and spends several days chasing after him and at the same time escaping from being chased by angry creditors.
• It chronicles the tale of Phil, Alan, Stu, and Doug as they travel to Las Vegas for Doug’s bachelor party.
• What makes Casino Royale so popular is the 007-style mixture of secret missions and high-class gambling.
• He carries the entire movie by himself through the first hour, with Judi Dench as his only real peer.
• Few settings delight audiences in cinematic entertainment, such as the casino’s 3D print and sound effects.
• Each concludes that the choices and risks one takes have consequences, but if you can handle those, you might just pull off a casino heist.
• In 1986, the bosses, finally fed up with Nicky’s recklessness and attempt on Sam’s life, order Frankie and his crew to kill Nicky and Dominick.
• It’s a black-and-white film starring Steve McQueen as an up-and-coming poker player making a name for himself during the Great Depression.

The poker is treated with real love and there is even some genuine discussion on pre-internet poker theory, while there are some truly iconic scenes including one involving an Oreo cookie and a bizarre tell. Give it a spin and try and resist opening up an online poker table immediately after it finishes. Bugsy is a biographical crime thriller that centers on the life and times of the infamous titular criminal and New York gangster, Ben “Bugsy” Siegel (played by Warren Beatty), as well as the origins of Las Vegas. Bugsy creates an opulent hotel and casino in the middle of the Nevada desert and popularizes Vegas as a romantic visionary and psychotic killer. Ocean’s Eleven has stood the test of time for over twenty years, encapsulating not only the divided identities of Las Vegas but also the contemporary heist movies era. In addition, it’s one of the best films Steven Soderbergh has ever made, and it’s humorous, exciting, all-around enjoyable, and one of the best Las Vegas movies that brings out the best and worst of the city.

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In fact, Alec Baldwin and Maria Bello were nominated at several respectable award associations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. The project follows the aftermath of a robbery that took place within a Mafia poker game. Kicking things off with a bit of an anomaly, The Hangover (2009) is the only clear-cut comedy movie on the entire list. That said, this modern hit is in the end definitely a film of actual quality, with positive ratings from critics and even a win at the Golden Globes for Best Musical or Comedy.

The movie offers plenty of excitement and drama as one of the top casino heist movies. Based on a true story, “Molly’s Game” has a fantastic cast and a captivating script. Jessica Chastain plays Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who runs an exclusive poker game for the wealthy and famous. One night, she gets arrested by the FBI and wrapped up in a high-stakes investigation into her players, some of whom are members of the Russian mob.

The memorable casino scene is when Tommy DeSimone approaches the craps table with lots of money to place bets. Tommy is one of the main characters, and he brings an atmosphere of excitement to the audience. The hilarious movie features a group of friends who decide to spend a night out in Las Vegas at a bachelor’s party.

From director Paul Schrader, the writer behind Taxi Driver, The Card Counter is a dark and intense ride through the ideas of redemption and the tight grip of the past. Martin Scorsese takes us to the Las Vegas of the ’70s and ’80s where the mafia still dominated the casinos. “Casino” features glamour, glitter, brutality, crime, romance, and drugs.

• Like other gambling films, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas takes us into the rotten world of gamblers and drug dealers.
• There was a glorious point in the ‘90s when Matt Damon seemed only to play unassuming boy genius to his degenerate friends, and Rounders is arguably his finest portrayal of the golden boy archetype.
• It won two of its nine nominations at the 34th Academy Awards, and has since been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.
• This whole movie is about a group of students from MIT who back in the 90’s took Vegas by storm.
• By age 10, he won millions thrice playing card games and the World Series of Poker.
• Today, the legalization of gambling has become a Hail Mary last-ditch effort for many financially eroding urban areas like Detroit, St. Louis, and others — but Atlantic City did this first.
• Most gambling movies focus on the casino’s glamor and excitement, but what about the unsung heroes that work the tables?

We should all consider ourselves lucky that these tales didn’t stay in Vegas, as Sin City has produced some of the best and most underrated movies to ever grace the silver screen. Gambling can encompass poker and other card games, of course, but also sports betting, the lottery, and anything else of that ilk you could muster. Paul Thomas Anderson’s movie “Hard Eight” follows the story of a seasoned gambler who takes a young man under his wing, introducing him to the casino scene. The mentorship slowly evolves into a complex relationship as they navigate the unpredictable world of gambling. “Rounders” sucks viewers into the world of underground poker, where the rush of the bluff and the allure of the win reign supreme. Matt Damon gives a memorable performance as a talented poker player who, despite his attempt to turn his life around, returns to poker to help a friend pay off his debts.

Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond redefined the character, bringing a gritty realism to the franchise. The film’s gripping central scene takes place at Montenegro’s luxurious Casino Royale, where Bond must outplay the sinister Le Chiffre in a nerve-racking game of Texas Hold’em poker. In this article, we explore the top 10 best casino movies of all time, providing you with cinematic gems that captivate both gambling aficionados and film lovers alike. We used the iMDB rating as the main criteria for differentiation because it happened to reflect our perspective on the listed Netflix casino movies. However, you should keep in mind that iMDB ratings are based on viewer input, not expert opinion, so take them with a grain of salt.

This criminally underrated movie shows the intense highs and lows of the gambler’s mind, with the audience having a front-row seat. Acting as a realistic portrayal of gambling addiction, Ben Mendelsohn’s performance as Gerry shows the misery and recklessness that comes with his type of dependency. Whether you’re into intense poker games or dramatic heists, our collection has something for everyone. Plus, we’ve thrown in a few international films that are real hidden gems.

By age 10, he won millions thrice playing card games and the World Series of Poker. Michael Imperioli plays Stu Ungar, plus various cameos from prominent figures in sports and poker, including Vince Van Patten, Al Bernstein, and Andy Glazer. As in the best films about gambling and casino, famous saying is, ‘See, life is a people game too.’ The rating is 6/10 on IMDb and 55% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Maybe it is the glamour of the casino or the links to the Mafia or just human nature to gamble, Hollywood has created some memorable movies and scenes based around casinos and gambling. Hollywood and television have a rich history of using gambling and casinos in their productions. Wild West movies often depict cowboys pulling their guns over a game of cards, James Bond is no stranger to the baccarat table and even Mr Bean has been known to enjoy the slot machines. Mark Wahlberg stars in this thriller about reckless gambling and the mounting debt that so many players can fall into. An educated professor at Harvard with a perfect personal life, yet he is incapable of stopping himself from throwing everything away.

The accurate representation of gambling psychology is one of the reasons this film is worth watching. Unlike other movies about poker we’ve listed here, this one features characters who are convinced they will magically strike gold. Gerry is a talented Texas hold ’em player whose adventures start once he encounters Curtis during a poker game in Iowa.

The result is California Split (1974), a wonderful character study that delves deep into the dangers of gambling addiction. There’s no denying this entry as a classic of the gambling movie ilk, and although it hasn’t aged as well as some of its older counterparts, it will forever be remembered for its tangible tone and rock-solid narrative. And those accolades are more indicative of the film’s actual quality than its acclaim from critics or number of tickets sold in theaters. William H. Macy stars as the titular character Bernie Lootz — and as a cooler in a casino, he acts as bad luck for the other gamblers, placed there by the casino themselves as a sort of negative presence.

It is no wonder why; Barbet Schroeder, also famous for big hits as Barfly, Reversal of Fortune, and Single White Female, was the director behind this crazy, enticing thriller. Jacques Dutronc plays the role of a charming man with a severe gambling addiction. His situation becomes more complicated when https://true-fortune.us/ he gets entangled in the cheating schemes of another man. Watch this thriller and follow these gamblers’ inevitable road to doom. A 2003 biopic based following Stu Ungar, an American professional poker & gin player. It explores how Ungar, nicknamed ‘The Kid’, turned into a gambling superstar.

Scott and his team have to steal a humongous amount of money from a casino safe before the US government bombs Vegas to smithereens. Unfortunately, Eddie Garrett – a compulsive gambler – didn’t follow this advice and found himself biting more than he could chew. Truth is he shouldn’t have dipped into Michael’s – the scary gangster – bag of money. Be sure to check out our beginner gambler’s guide to understand why it’s imperative to gamble within your financial means. Then you’ve come to the right place; we’ve got action heroes, martial arts, exploitation and movies generally with a huge body count.