We now have access to an absolutely enormous supply of movies. There are a number of streaming platforms available which allow you to access any genre of movie, any time, anywhere. Watching cool and entertaining movies has got to be one of the most popular pastimes in this day and age.
And casinos have become a popular setting for many Hollywood films. They’re alluring, slick and have the potential for some high-class, edge-of-your-seat action. When you watch these films and you see characters gambling to win their fortunes, have you ever wondered if this is what it is really like?
Creative license is a thing, and obviously movie directors will use it to add some sort of a flare into the scene, so how accurate actually is the gambling we see in casino movies? And which popular gambling movies have got it closest to real life?
Range of Play
The only gambling seen in movies is at the casino with physical cash. Like in Skyfall, the characters are given gambling chips for their money. Whilst this is an accurate depiction of gambling in a casino, it doesn’t factor in all the other convenient and easy gambling platforms that we have access to today.
Over the past decade, online and mobile gambling has overtaken casino gambling in popularity, and is many people’s preferred choice due to the smooth and straightforward experience it offers.
Gambling movies don’t really mirror this real-life pattern, probably because it doesn’t quite provide that jaw clenching anticipation that you want from a top-notch gambling movie. But that doesn’t stop you from enjoying it. There are plenty of welcome bonuses, top-ups, and offers such as this Grosvenor casino bonus code, available for new players on most sites.
Anticipation and Excitement
One of the main things that can be taken away from pretty much every gambling movie out there is that it is fun. Classic gambling movie The Sting just oozes with electric pleasure from start to finish. No one wants to sit and watch people playing it safe; they want the thrill and excitement of a little bit of risk; it’s this that is so alluring and enjoyable about the whole gambling experience – the not knowing if you’re going to lose absolutely everything you’ve put in or whether you are going to win big. It’s this element the movies definitely have right.
Glitz and Glamour
Casinos are flashy, seductive and have this energy about them that just screams glamour. Again, potentially a little more in the movies than in reality, but that depends on which casinos you’re visiting. Get yourself over to Vegas and you will feel like you’ve literally been transported into your favourite gambling movie. The lights, the décor, the dress, the people – they all give you that feeling of importance and big money – the exact ambiance that is delivered in the movies.
Casino
Arguably one of the most popular, this classic gambling movie was a pretty accurate representation of 1970s casinos and Frank Rosenthal’s life. But compared to today’s gambling scene, not so much. As the focus of the movie is not the actual gambling itself – more so the famous casino owner and the Mafia in Chicago – any play seen is quite brief, but not entirely inaccurate.
The main difference we can clearly pick up on between the gambling scene in Casino and today’s gambling, is the violence. The restrictions and regulations put in place now mean that if any sleight of hand is caught, you will be asked to leave instead of beaten out.
Oceans 11
Steven Soderbergh’s remake of 1960s Rat Pack actually depicts the casino lifestyle pretty well. This could partially be due to the fact that all the scenes inside a casino were actually filmed in The Bellagio in Vegas. Whilst this slick, fast paced heist movie shows the casino floor and play accurately, that large vault in the basement? Not so accurate. Of course, the high-end casino isn’t going to reveal all its security measures for a Hollywood film. It’s pure creative license, but it sure does add some excitement.
They’re classy, captivating and a little bit fascinating, so there is no wonder gambling and casinos are consistently used in movies. Whilst some points are slightly questionable in relation to reality, there are many elements where the movies completely hit the nail on the head.