There has always been a sense of something irresistible about gambling in television shows. The stakes are very visible, as is the psychology. There’s tension as part of every hand and when the character decides to push all of their chips forward. Throughout the golden age of network drama and into the streaming age, the card table and casino floor have consistently provided some of the most gripping moments.
There’s great excitement in 2026 as Martin Scorsese continues that trend with a new drama set in Las Vegas. There are other notable shows in the works that will build on this popular theme. Anyone who likes interaction with their viewing, such as the casino games that inspired many of these narratives, it’s a great time to be a fan of gambling on screen.
The Classics That Started the Genre
Perhaps the peak of casino-related drama on television was Las Vegas, which ran on NBC between 2003 and 2008. It saw the Montecito Resort coming into focus five days a week. It followed a team in charge of security at an unpredictable casino. There were plenty of action-packed casino scenes and heist moments. Celebrities often featured and people could for the first time see the inner workings of a high-stakes operation.
Then there was HBO’s Luck, which was very short-lived, featuring Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte. This focused on horse racing betting and was a very raw portrayal of the psychological aspects of gambling. It showed characters who are looking to make or lose a fortune in a matter of seconds. However, it ultimately got cancelled due to animal welfare concerns.
Billions was a hit Showtime drama that showed the high-stakes battle between a hedge fund billionaire and a US attorney. There are high-stakes financial gambling, stock market manipulation and time spent at the track. It presented how information asymmetry and understanding risk are what’s important when humans are competing with one another to try to get ahead.
Poker Face
One of the recent television series that focused on gambling was Poker Face. This was a Peacock mystery that starred Natasha Lyonne and first aired in 2023. The murder mystery series involved a woman who was able to detect who was lying as she tried to solve murders. It has a 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating, showing the esteem the show is held in.
She honed her skills after spending years working at casino tables, seeing when people were bluffing and reading tells. The second season came out in May 2025 and was also well-received. Unfortunately, Peacock cancelled it in November 2025, although the show is being shopped around to other notable networks.
A New Obsession in the Streaming Age
Outside of Poker Face, there have been some other notable instances in recent years of gambling-related shows. Squid Game was phenomenal when it first came to Netflix. It has a lot of gambling elements built into it.
The premise is the oldest gamble of risking everything on a single outcome. The price in the show is a person’s entire life and on the flip side, the rewards are outrageous riches. The first three seasons showed what people are willing to do when the stakes are so high.
What’s Coming Next
There is a lot to look forward to for anyone who’s interested in gambling television. In December 2025, Netflix announced what may be the most anticipated gambling drama in the history of the genre. 30 years after the release of Martin Scorsese’s Casino, the filmmaker revealed he’s returning to the world of Las Vegas with a new drama series that will stream on Netflix. I
t’s created by Brian Koppelman and David Levien who were the co-creators of Billions. It’s set in present day Las Vegas and the creative team have experience of other iconic gambling-related productions like Rounders, Ocean’s Thirteen, and Boardwalk Empire.
Casino is still one of the best American films of all time, showing the more economics of Las Vegas. Koppelman and Levien also understand the psychology of a gambler, something which is vital for any such content to be realistic.
The creator of Squid Game, Hwang Dong-hyuk, is also bringing a crime drama set in a casino to Netflix. The Dealer is now in production and will focus on a casino dealer who gets caught up in a lot of drama.
Why Gambling Makes Great Television
When you take away the specific shows and the streaming platform wars, a pattern emerges from the past few decades of gambling-related television. The best gambling drama aren’t really about the gambling itself. It’s more about the people involved and the risks that make up the decision making.
Psychology is also key, whether it’s reading tells, discipline to keeping your cards close to your chest, and managing your emotions. They’re also about the age-old question of how much you’re willing to stake on what you think to be true.
These are powerful questions that are the reason why the genre has never disappeared. With Scorsese, the Billions creators, the Squid Game creator and the ongoing afterlife of Poker Face all dominating in the same theme at the same moment, the odds on gambling television delivering its best era yet look genuinely favourable.