5 Great Sports Betting Movies

Love to kill time watching movies? Love to chill while sports betting? Who said you can’t do both at the same time?

With these 5 great sports betting movies you don’t have to choose anymore between the two of your favorite pastime activities.

Casino (1995)

If a tale of deception, power, money, fast life, greed and of course, the dark side of Las Vegas casino establishment excites you, then you definitely need to see the Casino.

The movie, which was released in 1995, tells the true-life story of Frank Rosenthal as told in a nonfiction book “Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas” by Nicholas Pileggi. 

Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci. The movie traces the journey of Sam “Ace” Rothstein (played by De Niro) an expert gambling handicapper who due to his skills was hired by the Chicago organized crime families to oversee the operations of the biggest casinos in Vegas.

Supporting characters in the film included Nicholas “Nicky” Santoro (played by Pesci) and Ace’s girlfriend and eventual wife Ginger McKenna (played by Stone). Stone would later go on to win a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama and score a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

However, De Niro would get snubbed once again despite playing a leading role in the movie. For industry watchers, De Niro’s miss out in the Oscars for the best movie in 2020 didn’t come as a surprise considering he posted fifth in the Unibet Betting Pennsylvania with +5.000 odds to win the Oscars.

That notwithstanding, Casino is a deeply intriguing movie that thoroughly investigates the influence of mobsters on the Las Vegas casino scene in the 70s and early 80s.

Two for the Money (2005)

An inside-out look at the highs and lows of the gambling world. When former college football star Brandon Lang career was cut short due to a knee injury, he was forced to abandon his ambition of going pro to handicapping football games.

With a knack for consistently picking winning odds, Brandon’s skills didn’t go unnoticed for long until Walter Abrams, head of one of the leading companies providing advisory services for gamblers poached him.

Under the wings of Walter, Lang was transformed into a high-rolling handicapper. However, as is always the case, with time he became cocky about his skills and stopped doing his homework. He started playing his hunches which led to some losses. The movie ends when Lang made a correct prediction for a high-stake came with several millions at risk.

Eight Men Out (1998)

Eight Men Out is a movie that clearly depict what would happen when bookmakers are unregulated and allowed free reins. The movie is based around the life-event during the 1919 World Series.

The eight Chicago White Sox players surprisingly lost, a competition they were favorites to win. The eight players conniving with an illicit gambling ring threw the series and lost in 8 games.

The Color of Money (1986)

A sequel to The Hustler directed by the masterful Martin Scorsese featuring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise as his understudy. 

The Color of Money opens with Eddie Nelson (Newman) spotted a promising table hustler Vincent Lauria (Cruise) and took him under his wings.

The movie dives into the psychology of bettors exploring the place of pride, identity, and morality of professional gamers. Now, combine this with the star power of Newman and Tom Cruise and you have a must-watch movie.

Lay the Favorite (2012)

When a stripper leaves her job dancing at night clubs to cocktail waitress in Vegas Casino to a professional sharp where she meets a sports gambler that takes her under his wings.

The movie is a TV-adaption of Beth Raymer’s life memoir where she chronicled her journey from a stripper to full-time pool hustler.