In this article, we went far back in time and added gambling movies since the beginning of the last century. Besides the brief information on our list of great roulette films, we added the trailers of movies roulette fans can enjoy. Once you start watching the trailers, you will notice that many comedies found their way in this article, alongside the crime and drama gambling titles. Read on, and don’t forget to check the answers to some interesting questions at the bottom of the article.
Great Roulette Movies About Heroes & Criminals
If you are looking for a great roulette movie, this article has more than enough suggestions. Our list has some of the best gambling movies of all time. We have included some old films and new titles, but regardless of the year the movies are created, they deliver unforgettable roulette scenes. Here is our list of movies with roulette gaming scenes:
As you can see, the titles will take you on a ride through drama and comedy stories. If you feel inspired to play roulette after watching some of the films, we recommend few secured and verified roulette sites for UK players. And now, here is more about the roulette films we chose for you.
Casablanca (1942)
The first roulette film on our list is a well-known and loved by generations classic movie called Casablanca. This film was released in 1942 and immediately became a hit. The black and white movie takes us to Casablanca (French Morocco), where Rick meets Ilsa, his formal lover and her husband on the roulette table.
The woman and her husband are trying to escape the hands of a corrupt investigator and get on a plane to America. After long consideration, Rick decides to help them by rigging the game, and the couple wins with a bet on the number 22. Casablanca’s end is considered one of the most memorable scenes in movie history. We will not give more spoilers, so just watch it.
🎞️ Movie | Casablanca |
🎂 Year | 1942 |
🎬 Genre | Drama, Romance, War |
😎 Director | Michael Curtiz |
👨👩👧👧 Cast | Humphrey Bogart (Rick), Ingrid Bergman (Ilsa), Paul Henreid, Claude Rains |
🏆 Awards | 10 Awards (Including 3 Oscars) & 9 Nominations |
⭐ IMDB Rate | 8.5/10 ⭐ |
🍅 Rotten Tomatoes | 99% 🍅 & 95% 🍿 |
🐱👓 Metacritic | Metascore 100 & User Score 8.9 |
💰 Gross Worldwide | $4,376,287 |
Casablanca (1942) is not a movie where you can learn roulette strategies and tips. On the other hand, it is an excellent example of how easy it has been in the past to rig the roulette tables in someone’s favour. We recommend against such actions, so if you are decided to play, choose a roulette casino that is safe and fair.
Apart from the roulette cheating example and the dramatic love story, Casablanca is a source of memorable scenes. One of the most popular quotes used in other movies and books is Rick’s “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.” That influence on the public is why Casablanca has won 10 awards, and 3 of them are Oscars.
The Honeymoon Machine (1961)
The second place in our roulette movies list takes a romantic comedy with Steve McQueen. The Honeymoon Machine, released in 1961, is not a typical gambling or roulette-themed movie. This story begins with two friends’ idea to use Morse Code to cheat at casinos in Venice, Italy.
The navy lieutenant, Fergie (Steve McQueen), and his civilian friend, Jason (Jim Hutton), use the ship’s classified computer to send each other coded messages. The lovely ladies, Julie and Pam, are a distraction on their path to riches. Their real problem is Admiral Fitch, who intercepts the transmission of messages and believes that they are spy transmissions.
🎞️ Movie | The Honeymoon Machine |
🎂 Year | 1961 |
🎬 Genre | Comedy, Romance |
😎 Director | Richard Thorpe |
👨👩👧👧 Cast | Steve McQueen, Brigid Bazlen, Jim Hutton, Paula Prentiss |
🏆 Awards | – |
⭐ IMDB Rate | 6.2/10 ⭐ |
🍅 Rotten Tomatoes | -% 🍅 & 44% 🍿 |
🐱👓 Metacritic | – |
💰 Gross Worldwide | $122,000 (in 1961) |
Since this movie was created during the Cold War, the fear of spies and enemy-coded messages was a major topic. Leaving the serious matters of war aside, The Honeymoon Hotel has the necessary qualities for a movie night title. It also can’t be called a roulette gaming tutorial film where we can see live roulette strategies. But it is a good example of how not to cheat on roulette.
As you can see in the table above, this movie has an average rating by critics and viewers. Perhaps it was because of the serious subject of war that people were not ready to laugh at in the past or something else. Despite that, according to the MGM studio records, the film brought a profit of $122,000 ($1,000,000 in 2018). Knowing this, it will be best to see the movie and decide if it was worth your time.
The Sting (1973)
The Sting is a well-known title to many generations of viewers who like movies about roulette. In this film, Johnny (Robert Redford) and Luther are small-time grifters in the 1920s who make the mistake of stealing from the big crime boss Doyle Lonnegan. The boss kills Luther, but Johnny manages to escape. His desire for revenge makes him even consider murder, but another, far better idea arises.
Jonny turns for help to Henry (Paul Newman), who is also a conman. Together, they create a complicated scheme and operate an underground gambling den. Their idea to steal the crime boss’s money down to the last penny involves a group of talented con artists and even rigging the roulette tables. Johnny and Henry’s partners in crime demand to get their fair share of the money. In the end, well, it is best to watch the movie to see whether or not they manage to get Lonnegan and all he has.
🎞️ Movie | The Sting (1973) |
🎂 Year | 1973 |
🎬 Genre | Comedy, Crime, Drama |
😎 Director | George Roy Hill |
👨👩👧👧 Cast | Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning |
🏆 Awards | 18 Wins (Including 7 Oscar Awards) & 6 Nominations |
⭐ IMDB Rate | 8.3/10 ⭐ |
🍅 Rotten Tomatoes | 94% 🍅 & 95% 🍿 |
🐱👓 Metacritic | Metascore 83 & User Score 8.2 |
💰 Gross Worldwide | $156,000,000 |
The Sting’s interesting plot and memorable dialogues make the characters likeable. An excellent example is when Johnny says, “Can you get a mob together?” and Henry responds, “After what happened to Luther, I don’t think I can get more than two, three hundred guys”. Such support and the characters’ expertise draw attention and make us wish we had loyal friends like them.
The many small details like using the roulette table from the movie Casablanca (1942) and the ball to land on number 22 are fun references to other great movies roulette fans enjoyed in the past. The favourable characters, star actors, excellent script, and skilful work of the production team brought 18 awards and 6 nominatons. The Sting has won 7 Oscar Awards and has high scores by viewers and critics.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
As you can judge by the title, this is another film falling in the unofficial genre of criminal comedies movie roulette fans can enjoy. Watching the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels trailer, it is clear that they are professionals at what they do. Those of you who had read our article on the common scams in Las Vegas may feel familiar with the subject but Frank Oz’s movie takes us to another level.
The 1988’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels takes us to the lovely Beaumont-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. In this small town, Lawrence (Michael Caine) runs his schemes and takes rich women’s money assisted by his butler and the local police’s chief. Freddy (Steve Martin) is a small-time con artist who does the same for free meals and rides. Lawrence and Freddy meet on a train, and soon, they become partners in crime.
🎞️ Movie | Dirty Rotten Scoundrels |
🎂 Year | 1988 |
🎬 Genre | Comedy, Crime |
😎 Director | Frank Oz |
👨👩👧👧 Cast | Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, Anton Rodgers |
🏆 Awards | 1 Win & 1 Nomination |
⭐ IMDB Rate | 7.4/10 ⭐ |
🍅 Rotten Tomatoes | 88% 🍅 & 84% 🍿 |
🐱👓 Metacritic | Metascore 68 & User Score 8.0 |
💰 Gross Worldwide | $42,039,085 |
The turning point in Freddy and Laurance’s happy lives is the appearance of Janet (Glenne Headly), a young American heiress. They make a bet who will get $50,000 from her first. This leads to the first encounter of the three of them in the scene at the roulette table. After that, the story takes so many turns that the con artists are unsure who won and what the prize is by the end.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrel’s tagline “Nice guys finish last. Meet the winners” catches the eye but can’t prepare you for the expertly made comedy. The two conmen take us from Lawrance’s peaceful wine cellar to the French Riviera’s beaches and the world of sophisticated casinos with games we can find at the best online real money roulette casinos. The result is high movie ratings and an award for Michael Caine.
Croupier (1998)
Last on our list is a roulette movie showing the casino through the dealer’s eyes. The Croupier (1998) takes us to a London casino and shows us the life of Jack Manfred (Clive Owen), a writer, who got a job as a croupier to pay his bills. This excellent gambling-themed film shows the highs and lows in gambling alongside Jack’s tips.
Even though the movie’s name makes us think that there are only roulette games, Jack takes us to many casino tables and different games. His professional life inevitably leads us to his personal life, where things are not perfect. Separations, new relationships, and fun with friends inevitably lead to more gambling games and casino crime.
🎞️ Movie | Croupier |
🎂 Year | 1998 |
🎬 Genre | Crime, Drama |
😎 Director | Mike Hodges |
👨👩👧👧 Cast | Clive Owen, Nick Reding, Nicholas Ball, Alexander Morton, Gina McKee |
🏆 Awards | 1 Win & 2 Nominations |
⭐ IMDB Rate | 7.1/10 ⭐ |
🍅 Rotten Tomatoes | 95% 🍅 & 79% 🍿 |
🐱👓 Metacritic | Metascore 75 & User Score 6.6 |
💰 Gross Worldwide | $7,120,568 |
The Croupier’s life stories are like life and gambling tutorials where Jack’s advice “Hang on tightly, let go lightly” takes full power. This criminal drama might not be up to every viewer’s taste, but the ratings are exceptionally high. Some of the tips can even help players who decide to enter the casinos in London.
This is one of the movies about roulette which don’t have many awards but are highly liked by fans of the genre. The table above shows that the critics also favour the Croupier and recommend it. Knowing this, it is up to you to choose whether or not to give this movie a shot.
More Roulette Movies – Action, Comedy & Dramatic Roulette Films
If the roulette movie trailers could not help you decide which film you wish to watch, we will give you a few more examples. In each of the following movies, you will find a roulette scene worthy of your attention. The titles will take you to the Las Vegas Strip, Monte Carlo, Monaco, and beyond. Here are our suggestions:
- The Turn of the Wheel (1918)
- The Lady Gamblers (1949)
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
- California Split (1974)
- Cheaters (1984)
- Vegas Vacation (1997)
- The Gambler (1997)
- Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)
- The Hustle (2019)
One of the comedies that deserve your attention is Vegas Vacation (1997). The film is one of the National Lampoon’s Vacation series about the Griswold family. This time the Griswolds flee to Las Vegas, Nevada and show us the Vegas-style entertainments. The result is troubles for the family and memorable Vegas Vacation quotes for us.
You might have noticed that The Turn of the Wheel was created in 1918, making it one of the first silent, black and white films with roulette scenes. The movie is marked as drama, romance, and mystery. This is one of the lost films, but you will see Rosalie Dean’s vacationing in Monte Carlo if you manage to find it and watch it. She falls in love with the gambler Maxfield Grey, but their happiness comes to an end when he is arrested for the murder of his ex-wife.
Another roulette film that does not need an introduction is Diamonds Are Forever (1971). Since the world’s most-favourite spy frequently visits casinos, we can’t make a list without mentioning him. Bond’s preferences towards unique gaming styles is the reason why today many players worldwide use the James Bond roulette strategy.
It would be unbelievable to think that someone in this world has not heard of Danny Ocean’s gang. The con artists and thieves had taken us to adventures in three different movies, but the Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) is the one that reaches our roulette movies. This movie shows an excellent example of high-class casino cheating, which is a better story even than the Las Vegas casino robberies in real life.
Roulette Movies Interesting Questions
The list of roulette movies we found online is staggering, but we managed to bring the recommended titles down to a minimum. Now, we will answer some interesting questions about the roulette films in our article. If you wish to know more, follow the links in the answers.