Casinos present exciting settings for story narratives. Their glamour adds to the fantasy of the rich and famous, spiking our imagination of what it would be like to live a dazzling, unattainable life. They pose as a formidable, villainous mise-en-scène for the spies and mafia bosses who often meet there — and sometimes they even explore themes like class.

In this article, the AuCasinosList expert team will wed our two favourite subjects: (online) gambling and movies. We will analyse popular casino movies inspired by real life to find out which tropes and subjects dominate the casino movie genre.

Dive into the topic with us and, if later inspired, try your luck with free chip casino Australia or other bonuses at the best Australian online casinos. And beware: this article contains spoilers, so tread carefully if you haven’t seen the movies we’re about to discuss.

Stock photo

Casinos and Movies: Truth and Fiction

The recognisable iconography, specific casino aesthetics, and the thrill of gambling are often used in movies. These elements don’t always play the central role, but they add to the atmosphere and emotional influence of the story or scenes.

Although there are plenty of fictional casinos in movies, we will focus on two popular titles inspired by true events. We’ll compare the movies’ stories to their real-life counterparts to learn more about the themes depicted against the casino background and what they reveal about how we perceive casinos.

Molly’s Game (2017)

This movie explores the titular Molly, a former professional skier who never made it to the Olympics due to injury. Her domineering father created strong pressure for her to be successful, which led her to run the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game and be hunted by the FBI.

The story of Molly intrigues us because of several elements. For one, she led an illegal but profitable game frequented by billionaires and actors. Some of the celebrities who frequented her secret poker sessions include Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Tobey Maguire, and many more. Also, hers is a story about a relatively ordinary individual entering the world most of us are not privy to, except through the lens of fiction.

Although the Cobra Lounge nightclub was invented for the movie, it was inspired by the Viper Room, a real-life venue. Molly is an example of perseverance and dedication that leads to a reward, both financially and in terms of status. We are drawn to this movie because it is a success story, a rags-to-riches narrative — despite the illegal tone, or precisely because of it. Fortune is considered impartial, so the casino represents an equaliser between people of different ranks.

21 (2008)

This peculiarly titled American heist drama was inspired by the story of the MIT Blackjack Team as depicted in the best-selling 2003 book Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich.

The narrative follows students who become card-counting experts in blackjack. Led by an eccentric math professor, they took Vegas casinos for millions. One of the characters, Ben, joins the effort to earn money for medical school.

This movie praises cleverness and an anti-establishment sentiment, as well as the determination of the underprivileged, so it’s not surprising that it was popular. But how much of it is true? The movie narrative deviates significantly from the real story. For example, unlike his fictional alter ego, the real Ben Campbell came from a rich and privileged family.

“Not only was he well-off, but he also passed up on the opportunity to attend Harvard Medical School because the money he could get by playing blackjack was more enticing”, says Lola Henderson, author and gambling expert at AuCasinosList.

“The movie twisted the truth to make the character likable. Everybody loves underdogs who sometimes even break the law to achieve their dreams. Not many tolerate privileged people who openly choose money over what is perceived to be a more noble goal. Casinos are interesting fictional settings because we rely on various myths, stereotypes, and symbols the world of gambling might stand for”, adds Lola Henderson.

Several other changes were made for the story to be more emotionally impactful by adding personal and interpersonal drama. These include Ben’s father dying in the movie (as opposed to real life) and a fictional romance between colleagues.

Stock photo

Two More Casino Movies to Add to Your Watchlist

At AuCasinosList, we love a good casino movie but don’t often have an opportunity to discuss this with our readers. Since we’re talking about films set in the world of gambling, we wanted to recommend two of our favourites. While they might not be as popular as Molly’s Game or 21, they are excellent movies that deserve a place on your watchlist.

High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (2003)

Released straight to video, this little-seen biopic follows the life of Stu Ungar, a professional gambler and a high roller. The character is intriguing because of the depiction of his addiction and personal issues caused by gambling, but also because the man had a genius IQ. Successful and suffering prodigies are famous tropes in fiction; their exceptional talent is part of the fantasy, and the dramatic consequences create a compelling narrative.

Casino (1995)

Unlike the other movies on our list, this Martin Scorsese masterpiece is as fictional as it gets. It’s a true casino-set Game of Thrones, which includes violence, betrayal, and the mafia. Though not based on actual events, it was loosely inspired by the real-life casino boss Frank Rosenthal. A contemporary classic, Casino was loved by critics and nominated for many prestigious awards — so if you haven’t seen it, we recommend you do.

In Conclusion

Casinos in fiction can symbolise many things: the greed of the criminal aristocracy, decadence, violence, and human malice. Movies set in casinos often paint a grimdark picture of human nature. These films also serve as ideal backgrounds for rags-to-riches stories through which poor, hard-working heroes get to achieve more than they have ever dreamt of; they tell tales of addiction, heartbreak, and drama, while sometimes posing as a playground for maths prodigies.

Each trope subtype feeds into a different concept, fantasy, or interest. Fictional casinos unite the subjects of human darkness, an ordinary person’s chance at success or fame, and an opportunity for genius worship.

As highlighted, the movies on this list deviate significantly from the source material to adhere to familiar and popular narrative tropes that people respond to, which isn’t a bad thing. But if any of these titles provoke you to explore the true stories that inspired them, you are in for a real treat.