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The flashing lights, the sirens, the hum of conversation, and the adventure of putting a bet are all part of the attraction of casinos. While betting has actually been around for centuries, gambling establishments began appearing in Italy in the 17th century. The Casino di Venezia, which opened in 1638 in Venice, is the world's oldest gambling establishment, though it was initially called Theatre Saint Moses. It used visitors the chance to bet during theatrical production intermissions.

By the 19th century, gambling establishments appeared all over Europe. In the United States, towns like Las Vegas and Reno in Nevada, and Atlantic City in New Jersey, ended up being understood for casinos and the notorious ties held to arranged criminal activity. Gambling itself had a track record as a vice that could lead to other bad practices.

Hollywood's own fixation with casinos has a long history also. Classic film "Casablanca" includes a gambling establishment as part of Rick Blaine's bar. Throughout the next a number of years, directors like Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Soderbergh attempted their hand at films about the appeal of gaming and the casinos that supported the way of life.

OLBG looked into the history of casinos on screen and assembled a list of 20 of the best gambling establishment movies. To be included, motion pictures had to have important scenes happen in a gambling establishment, and the movie needed to have at least a 6.0 on IMDb or a 65 on Metacritic.

ATO Pictures

# 20. 'Casino Jack' (2010 )

- Director: George Hickenlooper

• IMDb user rating: 6.2
• Metascore: 51
• Runtime: 108 minutes
  
  This fictionalized retelling of a true story stars Kevin Spacey as Jack Abramoff, a corrupt Washington D.C. lobbyist motivated by greed and power. Abramoff and his partner Michael Scanlon stole funds from Native American gambling establishments all while twisting laws for their convenience. In a nod to the 1996 film "Jerry Maguire," one scene finds Scanlon and Abramoff shouting, "Show me the cash!" Actress Kelly Preston who plays Abramoff's wife in the movie played Maguire's previous girlfriend also.
  
  # 19. 'Ocean's Twelve' (2004 )
  
  - Director: Steven Soderbergh
• IMDb user ranking: 6.5
• Metascore: 58
• Runtime: 125 minutes
  
  The follow up to "Ocean's Eleven" discovers Danny Ocean adding a partner to his band of thieves as they interact to pull off several European heists. Steven Soderbergh directed not just this second film in what would be a trilogy, however all 3 "Ocean's" installments. George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Elliot Gould, and Bruce Willis not only starred in the film, but they likewise had another thing in common-they were all guest stars on the comedy "Friends."
  
  Warner Bros. Pictures # 18. 'Ocean's 11' (1960 )
  
  - Director: Lewis Milestone
• IMDb user rating: 6.6
• Metascore: 57
• Runtime: 127 minutes
  
  Featuring the Rat Pack-Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop-" Ocean's 11," concentrates on 11 men who pull off an amazing Las Vegas break-in. Danny Ocean, played by Sinatra, leads his former World War II buddies in a strategy to rob several casinos in a single night. This traditional movie would be remade in 2001 with George Clooney taking over the role of Danny Ocean. Angie Dickinson played Danny Ocean's ex-wife in the 1960 film, while Julia Roberts stepped in for the upgraded variation in 2001.
  
  Eon Productions
  
  # 17. 'Diamonds Are Forever' (1971 )
  
  - Director: Guy Hamilton
• IMDb user ranking: 6.6
• Metascore: 59
• Runtime: 120 minutes
  
  The seventh movie in the James Bond movie franchise, which was based upon the books by Ian Fleming, stars Sean Connery as 007. The spy jets off to Las Vegas to investigate diamond smuggling and finds a wealthy magnate and a wicked plot. Connery was the very first star to play James Bond and starred in 7 of the movies. The Oscar-nominated movie was shot on in Las Vegas at several casinos consisting of The Riviera, Tropicana Las Vegas, and Circus Circus Las Vegas.
  
  TriStar Pictures
  
  # 16. 'Bugsy' (1991 )
  
  - Director: Barry Levinson
• IMDb user ranking: 6.8
• Metascore: 80
• Runtime: 136 minutes
  
  This movie narrated the life of well-known mobster Bugsy Siegel and his substantial function in structure modern Las Vegas. Starring Annette Bening and Warren Beatty, the two would fall in love throughout filming, marry not long after, and go on to have 4 kids together. The movie was chosen for an astonishing 10 Oscars and won 2. While "Bugsy" lost for finest image at the Oscars to "The Silence of the Lambs," it did manage to take home the Golden Globe Award for best movement picture-drama.
  
  Columbia Pictures
  
  # 15. '21' (2008 )
  
  - Director: Robert Luketic
• IMDb user ranking: 6.8
• Metascore: 48
• Runtime: 123 minutes
  
  Under the tutelage of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology teacher, six MIT trainees were trained to become card counters and made a killing in Las Vegas in this film, which is loosely based upon the novel "Bringing Down the House" by Ben Mezrich. While many shooting places remained in Boston, consisting of the Public Garden, Boston University, and Newbury Street, Las Vegas was likewise an important filming location for "21." According to the Nevada Film Office, shooting happened in numerous Las Vegas casinos, including Planet Hollywood, The Venetian, Caesars Palace, Hard Rock Hotel, and Red Rock Casino.
  
  Lions Gate Entertainment
  
  # 14. 'The Cooler' (2003 )
  
  - Director: Wayne Kramer
• IMDb user ranking: 6.9
• Metascore: 69
• Runtime: 101 minutes
  
  An unlucky guy is utilized by the mob to cool things down for high-stakes gamblers who are on a winning streak at a Las Vegas casino till he gets fortunate in love, changing his own luck at the gambling establishment. Maria Bello, William H. Macy, and Alec Baldwin star in this movie that was mostly shot in Reno, Nevada. Baldwin got both an Oscar and a Golden Globe election for best supporting star for his role as casino employer Shelly Kaplow.
  
  Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
  
  # 13. 'Ocean's Thirteen' (2007 )
  
  - Director: Steven Soderbergh
• IMDb user rating: 6.9
• Metascore: 62
• Runtime: 122 minutes
  
  The last movie in the "Ocean's Eleven" trilogy, "Ocean's Thirteen" finds the gang getting together to manage another heist after one of the original 11 is double-crossed by casino owner Willy Bank, who is played by legendary actor Al Pacino. Among the lines in the film, "You shook Sinatra's hand," is a recommendation to Frank Sinatra who played Danny Ocean in the initial version of "Ocean's 11." The phrase is indicated as a sort of values or gentleman's agreement.
  
  New Line Cinema
  
  # 12. 'Boiler Room' (2000 )
  
  - Director: Ben Younger
• IMDb user rating: 7.0
• Metascore: 63
• Runtime: 120 minutes
  
  When Seth Davis' daddy, a judge, catches him running an unlawful casino from his home, he isn't pleased. Davis, played by Giovanni Ribisi, goes out and gets a job as a broker in a boiler space, which according to Dictionary.com is, "a place where illicit brokers engage in high-pressure selling, over the telephone, of securities of a highly speculative nature or of suspicious value." The film was loosely based on the story of Jordan Belfort who was the topic of the 2013 Martin Scorsese movie, "The Wolf of Wall Street," which was also the title of Belfort's narrative.
  
  Sony Pictures Classics
  
  # 11. 'Owning Mahowny' (2003 )
  
  - Director: Richard Kwietniowski
• IMDb user score: 7.1
• Metascore: 70
• Runtime: 104 minutes
  
  At the heart of this movie is a tale of betting addiction. Based upon the true story of Brian Molony, "Owning Mahowny" tells the tale of Dan Mahowny, a bank supervisor, who has access to multimillion dollar accounts that he used to feed his betting practice. The real-life Molony committed bank scams by embezzling $10.4 million from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. The film, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman as Mahowny, was shot in Toronto and Atlantic City, where Molony in fact dropped $1.4 million at a New Jersey casino right before his arrest in 1982.
  
  ARTE
  
  # 10. 'Croupier' (1998 )
  
  - Director: Mike Hodges
• IMDb user rating: 7.1
• Metascore: 75
• Runtime: 94 minutes
  
  Aspiring writer Jack Manfred gets a job as a croupier, someone who works the tables at a casino and handles bets and payouts. While Jack does not bet, his dad does, and it is he who gets Jack the task at a London gambling establishment. Portrayed by Clive Owen, Jack gets captured up in a love triangle and a plot to cheat the gambling establishment before the movie's end. The casino in the film was in fact produced on a set in Germany.
  
  Paramount Pictures
  
  # 9. 'The Gambler' (1974 )
  
  - Director: Karel Reisz
• IMDb user score: 7.2
• Metascore: 65
• Runtime: 111 minutes
  
  James Caan stars as high-stakes gambler and English professor Axel Freed, who gets so captured up in betting that he uses a loan shark his life for collateral versus a loan. This criminal offense thriller earned Caan an Oscar nod for finest star. Screenwriter James Toback has plenty of experience with gambling and based the film's movie script on his own addiction-though Freed's gambling appears to be an addiction to the rush and risk instead of to the act of gambling. A 2014 remake of the movie starred Mark Wahlberg ahead role.
  
  Spelling Goldberg
  
  # 8. 'California Split' (1974 )
  
  - Director: Robert Altman
• IMDb user ranking: 7.2
• Metascore: 84
• Runtime: 108 minutes
  
  A casual gambler and an expert ended up being friends and dig themselves deeper into the world of betting in this film starring Elliott Gould and George Segal. In a last desperate attempt to win huge, the two characters head to Reno, Nevada, for the poker game to end all poker games. "California Split" was the very first non-Cinerama movie to utilize the eight-track sound system for dialogue, enabling the recording of eight different audio channels. Using this technology strengthened Altman's usage of overlapping discussion, which became one of his hallmarks as a director.
  
  Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  
  # 7. 'Hard 8' (1996 )
  
  - Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
• IMDb user score: 7.2
• Metascore: 78
• Runtime: 101 minutes
  
  " Hard 8" marked director Paul Thomas Anderson's film launching and was based upon his short movie "Coffee & Cigarettes." An expert bettor played by Philip Baker Hall, takes a novice played by John C. Reilly, under his wing. Things go fine until the beginner falls for Clementine, a mixed drink waitress played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Several casinos in Reno and Sparks, Nevada, acted as recording locations, consisting of the Nugget Casino Resort.
  
  Miramax
  
  # 6. 'Rounders' (1998 )
  
  - Director: John Dahl
• IMDb user rating: 7.3
• Metascore: 54
• Runtime: 121 minutes
  
  Not only does this film star Matt Damon and Edward Norton, however the supporting cast is an entertainment market who's who and consists of John Malkovich, John Turturro, Martin Landau, and Famke Janssen. The story discovers Damon's character, Mike McDermott, who is a reformed bettor, assisting out his pal, played by Norton, who was recently released from jail and who drags McDermott right back into the world he was attempting to leave. A lot of the movie's places were made to appear like casinos or country clubs, including the imaginary Chesterfield Club in the film.
  
  United Artists
  
  # 5. 'Leaving Las Vegas' (1995 )
  
  - Director: Mike Figgis
• IMDb user ranking: 7.5
• Metascore: 82
• Runtime: 111 minutes
  
  Screenwriter and alcoholic Ben Sanderson, played by Nicolas Cage, heads to Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There he satisfies a woman of the street called Sera, depicted by Elisabeth Shue, who assures not to disrupt his strategy, though things get made complex when they fall in love. The film is based on John O'Brien's semi-autobiographical novel. O'Brien passed away at 33, before production on the movie started, and according to the author's daddy, the unique functioned as a morbid suicide note.
  
  Columbia Pictures Industries Inc.
  
  # 4. 'Gilda' (1946 )
  
  - Director: Charles Vidor
• IMDb user rating: 7.6
• Metascore: n/a
• Runtime: 110 minutes
  
  Starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford, this traditional movie finds a small-time bettor getting caught up in dubious company when he finds his former lover is married to his present company at a casino in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The movie was chosen for the Grand Prize of the Festival for function film at the Cannes Film Festival. Hayworth did not sing a word in the movie, but rather, was talented at lip syncing. Anita Ellis was the singing voice behind Gilda.
  
  Warner Bros.
  
  # 3. 'Ocean's Eleven' (2001 )
  
  - Director: Steven Soderbergh
• IMDb user rating: 7.7
• Metascore: 74
• Runtime: 116 minutes
  
  A remake of the 1960 movie starring Frank Sinatra and the rest of the Rat Pack, this variation stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt with their own modern-day team, that includes Matt Damon, Bernie Mac, Elliott Gould, Scott Caan, Casey Affleck, Eddie Jemison, Don Cheadle, Carl Reiner, and Shaobo Qin. Like the original, the remake features Danny Ocean and his friends robbing 3 gambling establishments at the very same time. "Ocean's Eleven" received a number of elections for best acting ensemble.
  
  Danjaq. LLC/ United Artists/ Columbia Pictures
  
  # 2. 'Casino Royale' (2006 )
  
  - Director: Martin Campbell
• IMDb user score: 8.0
• Metascore: 80
• Runtime: 144 minutes
  
  In his first objective as very spy 007, Daniel Craig as James Bond need to beat an evil banker at Casino Royale, Montenegro, at high-stakes poker. The movie works as Bond's origin story though it was the 21st movie in the franchise and the 3rd film adjustment of Ian Fleming's first Bond book. "Casino Royale" was generally shot in the Czech Republic spa-town of Karlovy Vary.
  
  Universal Pictures
  
  # 1. 'Casino' (1995 )
  
  - Director: Martin Scorsese
• IMDb user rating: 8.2
• Metascore: 73
• Runtime: 178 minutes
  
  This film was the final one for Saul Bass who designed the title sequence. Bass was popular for his work that not only included a number of Scorsese films consisting of "GoodFellas," and "Cape Fear," but classics such as "Psycho" and "Spartacus." Starring Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone, "Casino" was motivated by the mob associate and gambling establishment supervisor Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal and concentrates on the relationship between a gambling establishment executive and a mob enforcer. Pursuing authenticity, Scorsese recorded at the Las Vegas Riviera, inhabiting a small section of the gambling establishment while genuine gaming was occurring.