5 Unique Gambling Movies that are Based on True-life Events

Gambling movies have always been thrilling because they involve lots of risks. Watching people working hard to make low wages through cautious and secure means is boring. However, watching someone putting his financial life on the line for one huge score is sufficient to keep most people awake throughout the night. 

Movie gambling characters are similar in many ways to a group of criminals who rob a bank before disappearing into the beach as the sunsets. Things get pretty tense quickly. While movies try to show what happens in the online gambling scene, most of the stories are usually a figment of the imagination of writers. In this article, the case is different since we’ll be sharing with you five gambling movies that were inspired by true events. Let’s get started!

Casino (1995)

The dramatic movie that was released back in 1995 has been greatly influenced by the life of the casino boss in Vegas, Frank Lefty, and the mobster from Chicago, Anthony Spilotro. Like other filmmakers, Martin mixes fiction and fact quite well. The movie follows Frank’s connection with the criminal world through his best friend Anthony. The two were responsible for running four unlicensed casinos back in the ’70s. During that period, they went through a roller coaster of murder, love, adultery, marriage, and revenge. You’ll find it interesting to know how the mob lost control of the money-making tree that they had nurtured.

21 (2008)

This amazing 2008 film is based on a non-fictional book written by Ben Mezrich. The film shows a group of new players who follow a professor as they use no deposit bingo bonuses to take hold of Las Vegas casinos using counting techniques and bonuses available on casino games. The movie mixes fiction and fact well and adds drama to movie fans. However, the story remains closely knit to the real-life of UK gambling experts. When the casino operators strike back, the plot becomes more intriguing.

Broke (2016)

Broke is a great movie that’s based on sport-betting. And it covers the match-fixing scandals that happened in the early 2000s. The film touches on several challenges facing the gambling industry such as addiction and the recovery path. BK, a famous rugby star faces difficult times and gets help from a fan who helps him work and become as glorious as he was.

Molly’s Game (2017)

Molly’s Game is a gambling film that has been inspired by true-life events. The movie is about a former Olympic hopeful whose life takes a downturn after getting an injury. Molly starts organizing the biggest poker games underground until she runs into trouble and moves to New York. The hotel games manage to attract the most celebrities whose names are left to speculation. The performances of Kevin Costner, Idris Elba, and Jessica Chastain are enough to keep you entertained. When you throw in the FBI and Russian mobsters, you won’t get out of your chair.

High Roller (2003)

Avid poker players will recognize this movie immediately. The name Stu Ungar is enough for experienced poker players to know what we are talking about. After winning the World Poker Series three times, the man became one of the most talented poker players of all time. These achievements are enough to create a compelling documentary or movie. However, the story gets more interesting. The life of Stu Ungar gets filled with different kinds of vice which include lots of gambling, parties, and drugs. He made a lot of wrong decisions and died at a young age. However, he is remembered today as a legend in the world of poker.


One of the most exciting things about true-life event movies on gambling is how many they are in the marketplace. Every month, a new movie on gambling gets released. This means that you’ll never finish watching all these exciting movies. The movies that we’ve discussed here are some of the best because they highlight most of the activities that happen in casinos and also feature the basic rules for some of the most popular games. We all enjoy watching people who are ready to risk their financial life for one turning moment. While it may not work all the time, there are hundreds of people who’ve been lucky enough to walk away as millionaires. Will you be the next one?


Author Bio:

Chris Bell is a famous writer and proofreader at Gamblizard. He is a game expert and knows a lot about slot machines. During his free time, you’ll find him drawing or playing amazing casino games.

Written by Austin Crane

Austin is the principle web director for Untamed Science and Stone Age Man. He is also the web-director of the series for the High School biology, Middle Grades Science and Elementary Science content. When Austin isn't making amazing content for the web, he's out on his mountain bike or in a canoe.

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