The top grossing casino movies of all time

Casinos are the ideal setting for movies aiming to thrill audiences or create suspense and intrigue. Whether it’s a money heist, card counting conundrum or high stakes competition, the plot lines in casino films are always captivating for viewers.

Those that enjoy casino themed movies, usually also have fun playing casino games too. You can find top casino games at Bally casino games online.

Many casino movies have achieved huge success in the box office, including both standalone films and those that are part of a series of movies or franchise. Here are some of the top grossing casino movies of all time worth watching:

Ocean’s Eleven (2001)

To begin, the Steven Soderbergh classic Ocean’s Eleven is one of the most successful casino films in history. Set in the gambling capital of the world, Las Vegas, Ocean’s Eleven follows the very dapper Danny Ocean as he constructs one of the most elaborate casino heists ever performed alongside his crew of 11 individuals with their own unique skills.

They attempt to steal more than $150 million dollars from three of the city’s biggest casinos – The Bellagio, the Mirage and the MGM Grand. Along the way the team face life threatening danger and heartbreak.

The film was made on a $85 million budget and achieved a very healthy revenue of $450.7 million dollars. Part of its success could be down to the very famous cast, which included George Clooney as the leading man and Brad Pitt as Rusty. Julia Roberts played love interest Tess and Matt Damon played the role of Linus, a pickpot who helps out Danny.

Ocean’s Eleven is part of a trilogy, the second film was released in 2004 and the final part came out in 2007.

Casino Royale (2006)

Casino Royale is by far one of the top rated and most successful films in the James Bond movie franchise. Starring Daniel Craig as the special agent 007, the film sees Bond take on a mission to stop the terrorist financier Le Chiffre.

The agent must defeat the antagonist in a high stakes poker tournament after being delivered his stake by Vesper Lynd, an alluring Treasury Official. Bond is able to use his incredible abilities to read people and sniff out deception to win against Le Chiffre in a game worth £140 million.

While the poker scene is arguably the most memorable, much of the film takes place outside of the casino. Both Bond and Vesper survive a series of lethal attacks brought on by Le Chiffre and his criminal gang.

A little known fact is that while the film plays out a game of high stakes Texas Hold’em poker, in the book on which the movie is based, the pair challenge one another to a game of baccarat.

The film was a huge success and earned more than £55.4 million in the uk box office.

21 (2008)

Another great casino film worth watching is 21. This is a heist film with a star studded cast, featuring Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess and Kate Bosworth. It is in fact based on a true story and follows six MIT students as they take up card counting in order to win big at the blackjack table.

Ben Campbell cannot afford his expensive tuition and resorts to gambling to fund his degree, it is during this time that he becomes accustomed to life as a high roller. He joins the team of students and learns their tricks, however this leads to trouble he had not anticipated and puts his academic future at risk.

The casino scenes of the movie were filmed at a number of Las Vegas based casinos. It had a budget of around $35 million dollars and at the end of its run it had grossed in excess of  $157,802,470 million worldwide in the box office.

The film may have inspired more people to venture out to casinos to see if they have what it takes to succeed at the blackjack table.

The Hangover (2009)

Also, well worth a mention is the action comedy film The Hangover starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis. While the casino isn’t the central setting for the film, it plays a big role in the narrative.

It centres around a group of friends visiting Las Vegas as part of the pre-wedding celebration. The group awakens after a drunken night with no recollection of the previous evening’s shenanigans.

They must piece together events as they search for their missing friend Doug. things go even more awry as they have stolen $80,000 worth of poker chips from a criminal gang who want it back. Alan uses his superior card counting abilities in an attempt to earn back the cash.

By the end of 2009, this film grossed more than $467 million and won a series of awards, including a Golden Globe.