Best Casino Movie Scenes
Few things in the entertainment world are more exciting than a good casino scene. If you’re a bit of a film buff, you would’ve noticed that in the past few years, there has been a considerable rise in the number of movies that contain pivotal scenes set in casinos. This is for a number of reasons that span far beyond just pure entertainment.
For one, these intense casino scenes allow viewers to live vicariously through the characters on screen. Movie characters are willing to risk a lot more than the everyday person is, so they tend to go all out in a way that regular people likely couldn’t.
In other words, onscreen characters take risks beyond our wildest dreams, so it makes for great viewing. In addition to this, casino scenes in movies can often appear very glamorous – and who wouldn’t want to bask in all that glitz and glamour?
We’ve put together this list of our favourite, most exciting casino-based movie scenes of all time. Take a look at them below.
The Hangover (2009)
The Hangover series was one of the highest grossing of its time. Widely regarded as the best modern comedy of its decade, few have come close to matching the cinematic chemistry of “The Wolfpack”. These four friends brought belly-aching laughs to cinemas around the world, and this first movie, as well as the other two that followed it, was filled with memorable scenes. One scene in particular is a favourite among fans – unsurprisingly, it’s the one set in a casino.
In this particular scene, Alan, Stu and Phil head down to the casino at the Caesars Palace hotel they’re staying at for their friend Doug’s bachelor party weekend. Of course, as the story goes, they get into some trouble along the way and they end up needing to raise enough money to get Doug free from being held hostage.
Once they enter the casino, Alan heads straight to the blackjack table, where he successfully manages to beat the dealer several times. He raises enough money to free Doug, and in doing so, brings a great deal of suspense and comic relief to the film.
Casino (1995)
We couldn’t create this list without mentioning the one movie named entirely after exactly what we’re focussing on. This 1995 hit film is, of course, set in a casino. But for the purposes of this list, we’re picking just one moment from the film. Perhaps the most intense scene in the entire film is where the casino operator, named Sam Rothstein, who also goes by the name Ace, watches as two players engage in the craziest game of craps imaginable.
In the game, the two players bet a huge sum of $200,000 on a single roll of the dice. It’s almost unimaginable that someone would be able to place such a huge bet, but that’s what makes the game so much more exciting. In this scene, we see the true power of the suspense that a casino holds, as viewers undoubtedly waited with bated breath as the scene unfolded.
Dr No (1962)
Dr No isn’t the only James Bond movie on this list. No other franchise in movie history has glamourised casinos as much as this one. It has plenty of glitz and glamour on display, so naturally audiences became intrigued and invested in what they saw on screen. While there is certainly no shortage of James Bond movies with casino scenes in them, none of them are classic in the same way that Dr No is.
This movie features the original James Bond, Sean Connery, and was filmed in Les Ambassadeurs casino in Mayfair, one of London’s most affluent areas. Of course, this setting makes perfect sense, as it exudes luxury at every turn. In the movie’s casino scene, we see a group of very well-dressed characters seated around a blackjack table. As the scene progresses, we see tense moments in the game, but perhaps most memorable is Connery’s delivery of the iconic line, “Bond, James Bond.”
Casino Royale (2006)
We had to add another James Bond movie to this list for good measure. In the original telling of Casino Royale, the story goes that everyone’s favourite secret agent was playing baccarat, not poker. However, in 2006, when the movie was released, one of the most popular casino games in the world was Texas Hold’em. As such, filmmakers decided that it was a more suitable fit for the Bond audience.
The most memorable casino scene from this movie, however, is when Bond, played by the incomparable Daniel Craig, faces off at the poker table against Mads Mikkelsen’s Le Chiffre. The two share some intense exchanges, and the excitement is naturally fuelled by huge buy-ins. This scene alone makes the entire movie worth a watch.
Rain Man (1989)
The ‘80s saw plenty of great movies released, and Rain Man is one of them. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman played the role of the film’s two lead characters. At the heart of the story, we watch as two brothers travel across America on the greatest adventure of their lives, with the aim of winning a game of blackjack at one of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas.
The two brothers could be no different: Hoffman’s character is autistic and has incredible mathematical ability, which serves him well in the casino. On the other hand, Cruise’s character is a reckless hero set on doing things his own way. The movie itself is a masterpiece, but the most exciting scene is undoubtedly the one in which the game of blackjack is the focus – it’s intense and will leave you on the edge of your seat.
The casino scenes mentioned in this list are certainly unforgettable and stand out from every other scene in their respective movies. And while they’re incredibly exciting, nothing beats the excitement of playing real games at sites like Lucky Creek casino. So, be sure to try a few of them the next time you visit!
