Many of us love to gamble, but sometimes it’s nice to take a break from the tables and watch a great gambling-related movie. From poker, to casino games, to sports betting, there are lots of world-class movies based on these topics. We’ll show you five of them here, and we’ll give you a brief synopsis to help you decide which one to watch first.

Molly’s Game

Released in 2018, Molly’s Game is based on the true story of a beautiful young hustler, Molly Bloom, who ran one of the world’s most exclusive, and illegal, poker games. Molly was arrested by the FBI in a heavily-armed raid, but at the height of her game, she rubbed shoulders with some of the world’s biggest movie and sports stars. Starring Jessica Chastian, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, and Michael Cera, this is one gambling movie not to be missed.

The House

It can be good to switch off from all the seriousness and drama of the world and just have a belly-busting laugh. That’s what “The House,” starring Will Ferrell and Amy Poelher. This is the story of a middle-class suburban couple who decides to run an illegal casino out of their home in order to make money to send their daughter to college. There are lots of laughs, twists, absurd situations, and, of course, casino action throughout the movie. How do you win at keno every time? Run your own casino, that’s how!

Runner Runner

What do you get when you mix Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake, lots of beautiful ladies, and illegal offshore casinos? You get an action-packed crime thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The plot is based on Richie (Timerberlake), going to confront offshore casino operator Ivan Block (Affleck) when he believes he has been swindled by him. Instead, he ends up working for him, and down the rabbit hole of drama, crime, and madness he goes. This movie was released back in 2013 and is still one of the best gambling movies today.

Rounders

Lots of people say that gambling is simply in the blood. This movie, starring Matt Damon, Edward Norton, John Malkovich, and Gretchen Mol, would certainly show that a degenerate gambler is born that way, and can do very little about it. This is one of the greatest gambling movies of all time, and it is themed on poker rather than games of chance. Owing money to a mob boss, Norton and Damon hustle and play to pay off the debt before the hammer drops. What follows is nail-biting drama and lots of great gambling action.

Uncut Gems

Switching over to the theme of sports betting now, this 2019 dark comedy starring Adam Sandler follows the life of gem dealer and degenerate gambler Howard Ratner as he stumbles his way from one debt and disaster to another due to his uncontrollable impulse to gamble. We won’t spoil it for you, other than to say that this is a must-see gambling film with an unbelievable plot twist.