The world of online gambling has evolved over the last couple of decades to become one of the most popular pastimes for players from every corner of the world. Thousands of online gambling sites are available; some focus on sports betting, others on casino games, but top brands like www.comeon.com offer a wide range of sports betting, casino games, and live dealer tables.
Despite the popularity of online sites, nothing can quite beat the glitz and glamour of a brick-and-mortar casino. Canny producers have capitalized on the buzz of Vegas and its exciting strip of luxurious casinos where fortunes can be made and lost. Movies tell of hard-done-to hopefuls risking all they have on the turn of a card, and we, as viewers, just cannot seem to get enough!
Let’s take a look at some of the best movies that have captured many gamblers’ imaginations:
Casino (1995)
Directed by Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese, Casino stars Oscar winners Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci alongside Golden Globe winner Sharon Stone. Based on a true story, the movie tracks the journey of a gambling expert (De Niro) who is asked to oversee the day-to-day operations at the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. The movie outlines the struggles he confronts, the Mafia’s involvement with the casino, and the gradual demise of his close relationships.
Rainman (1998)
Selfish young wheeler-dealer Charlie Babbitt (Tom Cruise) is left a couple of rose bushes and a vintage car by his estranged father on his passing. The remainder of his multi-million dollar estate is left to Charlie’s brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman), whose existence is unknown. The movie tracks this conflicting journey as Charlie exploits Raymond’s autism and savant syndrome to acquire money through card-counting in Vegas to repay his debts and claim what he feels is rightfully his.
Rounders (1998)
Directed by John Dahl and starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton, Rounders follows the compelling arena of high-stakes poker. Reformed gambler and current law student Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) is drawn back into high-stakes poker clubs as he tries to help his friend Worm (Edward Norton) repay a $15,000 debt to a Russian mobster within a five-day deadline.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
This is a remake of the 1960 film starring Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack. Ocean’s Eleven follows Danny Ocean (George Clooney), Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), and nine other colourful crew members on the biggest heist of the century. It’s an intricate plan that requires all elements to run like clockwork to enable this daring robbery from three Las Vegas casinos in one night.
Casino Royale (2006)
MI6 boss “M” (Judi Dench) sends secret agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) on his first mission as a recently promoted “00” agent with a license to kill. Bond needs to defeat Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a private banker responsible for funding terrorists, in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, Montenegro. However, Le Chiffre is a force to be reckoned with as he is in desperate need to recover a huge sum of his client’s money, which he lost in a plot foiled by the British spy.
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