The 25 best gambling movies on Netflix [2025] 🎬

Netflix has undoubtedly become the number one streaming platform. I think most people out there, including myself, think of Netflix first whenever we want to watch any movie or TV show. And one of the genres I love most, which Netflix has a bunch of options for, is gambling movies.

So, I’ve curated a list of the best gambling movies currently aired on Netflix. I’ve also included a few media options, other than movies, which are perfect if you want to try something different.

And I couldn’t possibly forget a few gambling-related classics that have been on the platform before or might make their way into it in the future.

Top gambling movies on Netflix right now 🍿

Below, I’ve gathered a list of the best gambling movies you can currently find on Netflix. The list has a bunch of different genres and films that blend several of them masterfully. Just keep in mind that some of these movies can only be found in specific countries, so you’ll probably have to search around a bit to find them.

1. Uncut Gems

• Directed By: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
• Starring: Adam Sandler, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel
• Release: 2019

I couldn’t possibly start the list with any movie other than Uncut Gems. I’ve watched it a few times already, but it still makes me think deeply every time I come back to it.

Howard Ratner, portrayed by Adam Sandler, seems like just another New York jeweler. But deep down, Howard suffers from severe compulsive gambling, and his debts are piling up.

So, does Howard try to get his life in order and slowly start paying off those debts? Of course not. Instead, he places a massive bet that would help him turn everything around or ruin him forever. You can guess what ends up happening, but you’ll have to watch the movie to find out. 

To this day, it still amazes me how greed leads Howard into a spiral of excessive gambling again and again. Despite getting close to salvation multiple times, he still wants more and is ready to sacrifice everything for it.

I think Uncut Gems is a must-watch for your next Netflix night, especially if you’re into gambling and want to see what its dark side is like. 

2. Casino

• Directed By: Martin Scorsese
• Starring: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci
• Release: 1995

Casino showcases why sometimes it’s not a good idea to mess with what is working well. The film starts off with Sam 'Ace' Rothstein, portrayed by Robert De Niro, having a ton of success as a sports handicapper in Chicago.

He also happens to be close with the local mob, and when they find out about his skills with numbers and management, they recruit him to run a casino in Las Vegas. 

Chaos ensues for several years, with Sam making millions of dollars, surviving a few attempts at his life, and dealing with a failed marriage with con artist Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone).

In the end, once the mob leaves the casino industry in Vegas, Sam goes back to his old ways of sports betting and laments ever leaving it in the first place.

I would describe Casino as a classic Mafia film with a ton more drama and a lot of gambling. I think it’s an excellent watch for fans of any of these genres.

At the very least, check it out for the incredible performances of De Niro, Pesci, and Stone (who got an Oscar nomination for the film) or the excellent directing of Scorcese.

3. 21

• Directed By: Robert Luketic
• Starring: Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Jim Sturgess
• Release: 2008

For many years, 21 was the first movie in my mind when someone mentioned gambling movies. And if I hadn’t watched the masterpieces I discussed above, the film would probably be higher on this list.

Even if you haven’t watched 21, you’ve probably heard of the MIT Blackjack Team led by Ben Campbell (portrayed by Jim Sturgess). The movie is based on their story, albeit with a few inaccuracies, like the team being started by professor Micky Rosa (played by Kevin Spacey).

The Blackjack Team had several field days in Vegas, winning millions of dollars but also getting caught in a ton of drama and eventually disbanding.

The film has its flaws, but it’s a great watch for blackjack fans. I remember not being able to take my eyes off the screen, and it’ll probably have the same effect on you.

4. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

• Directed By: Wes Anderson
• Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes, Dev Patel, Ben Kingsley
• Release: 2023

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is one of my favorites on this list. It’s short and playful (like most Wes Anderson films) but filled with deeper meanings about the “emptiness” of wealth.

The movie is actually very similar to Uncut Gems in that it centers around greed but from two completely different perspectives.

In The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, the protagonist, portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, is extremely wealthy and constantly looking to increase his fortune even more.

When he finds out about a mysterious man who “sees with his inner eye”, Henry’s mind immediately thinks about how much money he can make by gambling in casinos using this skill. But will he finally feel fulfilled when he acquires this skill? I guess you’ll have to watch the film and find out.

In true Wes Anderson fashion, the movie has excellent rewatchability, and every time I come back to it, I notice things I hadn’t seen before. The film is less than 40 minutes long, so do yourself a favor and check it out whether you’re a gambling fan or not.

5. Ocean’s Trilogy

• Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
• Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon
• Release: 2001, 2004, 2007

Now we get into arguably the pinnacle of casino heist movies with The Ocean’s Trilogy. Each of the Ocean’s movies revolves around multiple heists of esteemed casinos in Las Vegas or Europe.

George Clooney leads every film as Danny Ocean, the criminal mastermind behind each heist. With him is his close friend Rusty Ryan, portrayed by Brad Pitt, and several other accomplices, such as expert pickpocket Linus Caldwell, played by Matt Damon.

There’s no deeper meaning behind these films, but their action is excellent, and their high-profile cast makes them even more interesting to watch. Steven Soderbergh and his production team really did a fantastic job in terms of visuals, too, offering a ton of eye candy.

6. Molly’s Game

• Directed By: Aaron Sorkin
• Starring: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner
• Release: 2017

Molly’s Game tells the story of Molly Bloom, which I’m sure most gambling enthusiasts know about. Once an Olympic-grade skier, Molly faced a career-ending injury before the 2002 Winter Olympics.

She turned to hosting underground poker games for real estate developer Dean Keith, with esteemed guests at each table. Her charisma got her a ton of popularity, and soon, she began hosting her own games, which made her a ton of money but also got her into a ton of trouble.

Aaron Sorkin did a fantastic job depicting the story of the strong and resilient Molly Bloom. What really surprises me about the film every time I look at it is how they managed to build something so good on a very small budget.

And when you consider the high-caliber actors in Molly’s Game, including Jessica Chastain, Kevin Costner, and Idris Elba, it makes it even more impressive.

7. Army of the Dead

• Directed By: Zack Snyder
• Starring: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Ana de la Reguera
• Release: 2021

Who says casino heists and zombies don’t mix? Zack Snyder definitely thinks otherwise (and so do I). Army of the Dead is set in an alternate universe Las Vegas, which has become ground zero for a zombie outbreak.

And just like any regular billionaire would do, casino owner Bly Tanaka enlists former mercenary Scott Ward (played by Dave Bautista) to retrieve a mere $200 million from his casino vault. 

Scott gets help from his daughter (played by Ella Purnell), and together with their team, they venture into Sin City to get the money back before the city is destroyed and cleansed.

Army of the Dead is honestly one of the most fun and exciting movies I watched recently. It’s not a masterpiece worth writing essays about, but it managed to keep me fully engaged throughout its duration, which is definitely not an easy task.

I highly recommend you give it a shot when you’re hanging out with friends. Don’t forget to grab a bunch of popcorn too!

8. Bugsy

• Directed By: Barry Levinson
• Starring: Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel
• Release: 1991

I only recently checked out Bugsy while making this list and truly regret not having seen the movie earlier. It starts off as your classic mob film, where Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, played by Warren Beatty, is a gangster looking to take over betting shops in Los Angeles from the local crime family.

That’s where Bugsy (at the time married with two daughters) also meets Virginia Hill (played by Annette Bening) and starts an affair with her. But where the film truly picks up is during one of Bugsy’s routine trips to Nevada.

Once Bugsy sees the desert, he is struck with the idea of building a luxury casino resort. And that was essentially how the infamous Las Vegas Strip was born.

The film combines so many different elements and is beautifully executed. I urge you to check it out if you want a glimpse at how Vegas used to be before its flashing lights and how a man’s dream created one of the largest industries on the planet.

9. Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul

• Directed By: David Terry Fine
• Starring: Tim Donaghy, Matt Maltepes
• Release: 2022

For a change of pace, we have a sports documentary from the “Untold” series on Netflix. Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul tells the real-life betting scandal of Tim Donaghy, a former NBA referee who went to prison for betting on the games he officiated.

The scandal was a big deal back in the day, and Tim Donaghy tells his side of the story through some excellent narrative that resembles a “true crime” documentary. From what I read online after watching the film, some of Donaghy’s claims have been previously debunked with evidence.

However, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of Untold: Operation Flagrant Foul, and I definitely recommend checking it out if you want to see how corrupt these massive sports organizations can get.

10. Bullsh*t The Gameshow

• Created By: Jonty Nash, Christopher Potts
• Starring: Howie Mandel, Ashley Johnson, Ellyn Marsh
• Release: 2022

Although not technically a gambling 'movie' on Netflix, Bullsh*t The Gameshow utilizes a key principle of poker: the ability to deceive others and have a perfect poker face.

As the game’s egregious title suggests, each contestant has to give the most bullsh*t answer but make it seem factually correct. They need to keep a straight face and bluff their way to a whopping $1 million prize.

I was pretty skeptical when I first checked out Bullsh*t The Gameshow, but I had a great time watching it. I definitely recommend watching it with friends, and I’m sure you won’t stop laughing throughout each episode.

11. Bad Sport

• Directed By: Miles Blayden-Ryall, Georgina Cammalleri, James House, Lizzie Kempton, Alex Kiehl, Luke Sewell
• Starring: Jamie Salé, Randy Lanier, Pete Cullen
• Release: 2021

Getting back into sports documentaries, I want to mention Bad Sport, a series of six stories about important match fixing scandals in different sports. Each story is independent from the rest and they cover all kinds of sports, including basketball, soccer, motorsports, horse racing, cricket, and even the Olympics.

I originally checked out Bad Sport because it talked about the infamous “Calciopoli” scandal that shook the Italian soccer league in the mid 2000s. But I ended up watching the rest of the episodes too and found them very interesting and entertaining, so I definitely recommend giving it a try.

12. The Card Counter

• Directed By: Paul Schrader
• Starring: Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan
• Release: 2021

The Card Counter is a film that completely revolves around gambling in several aspects. It’s heavy on actual gambling scenes, with the protagonist William Tell (played by Oscar Isaac) being a master card counter in blackjack and expert poker player.

But I felt that every single decision Tell had to make was a gamble in itself. He comes across fellow gambler La Linda (played by Tiffany Haddish) but doesn’t want to risk becoming too invested in her.

He also meets Cirk Beaufort (played by Tye Sheridan), who reminds him of his haunting past as a military interrogator. While he wants to help the clearly-troubled Cirk, he doesn’t want to risk ruining his life by revealing too much about himself.

Overall, The Card Counter feels like a constant battle, where Tell wants to get away from his past, but something always keeps reminding him of it. Isaac’s excellent performance helps showcase Tell’s complicated character, and I think you’ll really enjoy the combination of drama and actual gambling the film has to offer.

13. Focus

• Directed By: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
• Starring: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro
• Release: 2015

What happens when two con artists fall for each other and lose their focus? That’s what the film Focus is all about. This movie was so full of plot twists I couldn’t even predict how it would end.

The film starts off with con man Nicky Spurgeon (played by Will Smith) and manipulator Jess Barrett (played by Margot Robbie). The pair have a bunch of adventures together and end up falling for each other.

Most of the film’s gambling revolves around Jess getting into a betting frenzy against a gambler called Liyuan Tse in the Super Bowl. She ends up losing a ton of money, but the crew manages to win it back through trickery.

What helps carry the movie a lot is the top-notch writing and directing of Ficarra and Requa. They crafted a story full of plot twists that made me not want to get off the couch at all. 

And although I question the “unconventional” pairing of Robbie and Smith, they end with some fantastic chemistry and great performances.

Best gambling movies that may come to Netflix

Let’s be honest – Netflix is missing several excellent gambling movies. If you didn’t see your favorite gambling on the list above, it’s probably because it’s not on Netflix, or it was in the past but is now removed.

That’s why I gathered some important gambling movies that might make their Netflix debut (or comeback) in the future.

• Casino Royale: In Daniel Craig’s first Bond movie, Agent 007 aims to take down a private banker who wants to fund terrorist activities through a high-stakes poker game. James Bond travels to Montenegro to partake in said poker game and uses his incredible bluffing skills to sabotage the plan and defeat the villain.
• Mississippi Grind: Another excellent poker movie, which features two aspiring players going on a trip through several towns along the Mississippi River looking to participate in as many poker games as possible. Their end goal is the ultimate high-stakes poker game, which will take place in New Orleans and could earn them a lot of money.
• Croupier: This movie shows the other side of a casino table, where aspiring writer Jack Manfred, played by Clive Owen, gets a job as a croupier (dealer) to help make ends meet. Through this work, he becomes fascinated by the gambling world and thinks it would make for an excellent novel. However, it’s not long before this noir-inspired film starts to go south, and our hero finds himself in a lot of trouble.
• Rounders: If you want to watch a gambling movie all about the poker grind, Rounders is an excellent pick for you. Taking place in New York, the movie features Mike McDermott, played by Matt Damon, and his gambling accomplice Worm, played by Edward Norton, who venture into several high-stakes poker clubs with one purpose: to earn as much as possible and eventually repay the gambling debt that Worm had acquired.
• The Gambler: This film depicts Jim Bennett, played by Mark Wahlberg, a very bright English professor who suffers from mediocrity in all aspects of his life, including his gambling escapades. However, the latter leads him to acquire a considerable debt, which he needs to find a way to repay. Fun fact: the screenwriter for this movie, James Toback, is a self-confessed compulsive gambler, which gives the film a unique perspective.
• Familiye: This German film is no longer available on Netflix, but it’s definitely worth going out of your way to watch it. It’s about three brothers, with the oldest one needing to care for his younger siblings – one compulsive gambler and one with a genetic condition. The film’s storytelling, performances, and soundtrack are top-notch, and it’s a great showcase of how even the most broken families will always be there for each other.
• Win It All: Originally debuting on Netflix in 2017, Win It All is no longer part of the platform’s catalog, but it’s well worth a watch. The film showcases how the gambling addiction of Eddie Garrett (played by Jake Johnson) slowly destroys his life when he excessively gambles away thousands of dollars in a single night. And since it’s now his own money to begin with, Eddie gets involved in a high-stakes poker game to retrieve it.
• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: This peculiar film will definitely leave you wondering, “What did I just watch?”. Journalist Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his sidekick Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) are on their way to Vegas to cover an important motorcycle race. The problem is they have a car full of drugs, which they actively consume throughout the movie, and end up in a bunch of hallucinatory situations.
• All In: The Poker Movie: If you’re a fan of poker, this documentary is a must watch, as it goes over the huge poker boom in America at the start of the 21st century. All In: The Poker Movie showcases how millions of Americans were inspired by amateur Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 WSOP Main Event win and tried to follow a career in poker, before the entire industry was brutally shut down by the US government in 2011.
• Lay the Favorite: This classic love drama is based on the true story of Alan “Dink” Denkenson (Bruce Willis), an avid sports gambler from Vegas. He attracts the attention and affection of sports betting prodigy Beth (Rebecca Hall), who gets into a huge conflict with Dink’s wife Tulip (Catherine Zeta-Jones). The movie is a great watch if you want some insights into the bright (or dark) world of sports gambling in Vegas or just want to enjoy some excellent performances from high-level actors.
• Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels: I’m technically cheating a bit with this entry as gambling is only prevalent at the beginning of the movie, but Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is still a great film by Guy Ritchie. The film starts with expert card player Eddie and his friends losing a rigged card game against kingpin “Hatchet” Harry and needing to come up with a whopping £500K in one week.
• Owning Mahowny: This movie showcases how a gambling addiction can quickly get out of hand if you have access to basically unlimited funds. The film follows bank employee Dan Mahowny (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who steals money from high-profile clients to satisfy his gambling addiction. What I really liked about Owning Mahowny is how “real” all the cast’s emotions felt, which makes sense considering it’s based on the true story of compulsive gambler Brian Molony.

Ready to watch an awesome gambling movie on Netflix?

With so many options discussed, I’m sure you’re ready to put some of these films on your watchlist. I genuinely had a ton of fun rewatching some classics I hadn’t checked out in a while, as well as finding new and interesting gambling movies.

So, if you’re sitting there thinking about what to watch on Netflix tonight, log onto your account and start watching now! Fair warning: you might have to dig around different countries to find some of them, but they’re definitely worth the hassle.

👉Alternatively, if you’re after some gambling action through sports betting, check out the hundreds of excellent sports betting communities on Whop. These groups are full of expert handicappers who will happily guide you into betting successfully and avoiding all the woes some of the film protagonists had to go through.

Casino movies on Netflix FAQs

What is the Netflix movie about a gambler?

There are several excellent movies about gamblers on Netflix, with Uncut Gems being one of the best, as it showcases how bad excessive gambling can get. Similarly, there’s the Netflix Original “Win It All”, which portrays a compulsive gambler risking huge amounts of money that’s not even his own in the first place, but unfortunately the film is no longer on the platform.

What is the Netflix movie about blackjack?

One of the top Netflix gambling movies about blackjack is 21, which tells the story of the MIT Blackjack Team that won millions of dollars from US casinos. Despite a few inaccuracies and flaws in the storytelling, 21 is a really fun watch with some great performances by high-level actors, like Kevin Spacey.

What is the Netflix movie about the poker lady?

Molly’s Game is one of the top gambling movies on Netflix and it’s all about the true story of how Molly Bloom turned from an Olympic-level skier to an underground poker game hostess. The film is directed beautifully and features several high-caliber stars, like Jessica Chastain, who portrayed Molly brilliantly and makes the film a must watch among poker fans.

What is the new Adam Sandler movie about gambling?

Uncut Gems is one of the latest additions to Netflix’s catalog of gambling movies and it stars Adam Sandler as the compulsive gambler Howard Ratner. The film is an excellent depiction of how greed and excessive gambling pull you deeper into debt despite having a chance at salvation.