3 Casino Movies Based on True Events

The casino lifestyle with its easily identifiable green felt tables and colorful slot machines, has long been a subject of popular interest. As such, there have been many hit Hollywood films over the years that are based on real-life events from inside casino walls.

After all, as American publisher William Randolph Hearst once famously said, truth is not only stranger than fiction, it is more interesting. Here are three of the very best casino inspired movies from newest to oldest.

21

First on the list is a movie that was based entirely on Ben Mezrich’s non-fiction book, Bringing Down the House, in which he tells the story of six MIT students who figured out how to beat Blackjack casino dealers by learning how to count cards.

The majority of the film takes place within Las Vegas gaming facilities, featuring a star-studded cast which includes Kevin Spacey, Jim Sturgess, and Kate Bosworth.

Casino

Casino is a 1995 Martin Scorsese film with Robert de Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci. It is based on the non-fiction account of Las Vegas casinos in the 1970’s as depicted by Nicholas Pileggi in his book, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas.

Film enthusiasts know that everything Scorsese touches turns to gold, and Casino was no different, garnering major box office attention and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director.

Bugsy

A biographical movie that depicts the life of businessman Bugsy Siegel, Bugsy transports viewers back to the beginnings of Sin City in the early 1940’s.

With ten award nods and the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, this is clearly a must-see movie.