10 Fun Facts About Movies that Feature Gambling

Discover the magic behind the scenes of your favorite gambling-themed movies with our captivating list of 10 Fun Facts. From the high-stakes poker game that marked Daniel Craig’s debut as James Bond in Casino Royale to the classic con artist tale in The Sting that brought Scott Joplin’s music back into the spotlight. Each fact peels back the curtain on the fascinating world of cinema and casinos.

1. “Casino Royale” (2006): Daniel Craig’s first appearance as James Bond features a high-stakes poker game. The film crew actually took poker lessons during production to make the scenes more realistic.
2. “The Sting” (1973): This classic film, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, revitalized interest in the music of Scott Joplin, as its soundtrack featured his ragtime compositions.
3. “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001): The remake of the 1960 original was filmed in several real Las Vegas casinos, including The Bellagio, The Mirage, and the MGM Grand.
4. “21” (2008): Based on true events, this movie tells the story of MIT students who became experts in card counting to win big in Vegas. The real team played from 1979 into the early 21st century.
5. “Rounders” (1998): This cult favorite poker film starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton led to an increased popularity in Texas Hold’em, contributing to the poker boom in the early 2000s.
6. “Casino” (1995): Directed by Martin Scorsese, this movie was filmed in a real casino, the Riviera, during the night hours to avoid disruptions to the actual gamblers.
7. “Maverick” (1994): In this film, Mel Gibson’s character is seen playing a poker tournament. The final hand played in the movie is a statistically improbable combination, adding to the film’s dramatic climax.
8. “The Gambler” (1974 and 2014): This movie was remade in 2014 with Mark Wahlberg, who lost around 60 pounds to play the role of a literature professor with a gambling problem, a stark contrast to the original film’s lead, James Caan.
9. “Croupier” (1998): Clive Owen stars as a struggling writer who takes a job as a croupier. The film is notable for being shot from the perspective of the casino worker, a unique angle in gambling films.
10. “The Cooler” (2003): The concept of a “cooler” – a person believed to be so unlucky that they can end a winning streak just by being present – is central to this movie. The idea, while a popular casino superstition, has no basis in reality.