Casino movies have a habit of overly glamourising the Vegas experience. It’s safe to say that not all Vegas trips go swimmingly. In fact, as you can see on this page, gambling losses can really escalate if you let things get out of control.
That’s probably why so many of us choose to play it safe. We want to see other people gamble, not necessarily risk our own money at the roulette and blackjack tables! However, there are a few movies out there which show the bad side of gambling, too.
As we’ve previously discussed, the casino industry can take a lot of inspiration from entertainment. With that in mind, we want to probe a little deeper. What are some of the biggest losses ever depicted in film history? Here’s our rundown of just a few of the bigger hitters.
Rounders (1988)
Rounders is a cult classic movie from the late 80s, directed by John Dahl and starring Matt Damon. It’s popular with many people who love to get stuck into a game of poker!
The film focuses on Mike McDermott, played by Damon, who has designs on being a poker superstar. However, the movie begins with Mike losing $30,000 in one blow. That’s not something many poker champions do on the regular!
However, as the movie continues, Mike sees his luck start to change – or does he? Rounders is a fantastic high-stakes movie that brings the fascinating world of championship poker to the big screen.
The Sting (1973)
The Sting is a very popular movie which sees Paul Newman and Robert Redford take the roles of two con artists. While this movie may not take place in a casino, it does put a lot of big money out there. As you can expect, not everyone comes up smelling of roses.
In fact, we’re heading into spoiler territory. One of the big twists towards the end of the movie surrounds a crime boss funding a bet of $500,000. Only, as the film surrounds con artistry, not all is as it may seem. You can guess what happens to the $500k – but who gets their hands on it in the long run?
The Sting is one of the best-loved films of its era. It won several Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture. Therefore, it may still be one of the most-celebrated movies about significant betting losses out there.
The Gambler (2014)
From the title alone, you can tell that this movie may not end up all sunshine and roses. Starring Mark Wahlberg, this film depicts the gambling career of a lecturer of literature. However, it’s safe to say that he’s had his fair share of losses.
While other people drink and turn to crime, Jim turns to high stakes gambling. That’s where we turn to our big loss for the movie. In fact, it’s cumulative! Jim is such an obsessive gambler that he ends up owing $240,000 in one shot.
It’s a fantastic, thrilling movie to watch if you love the pace of high stakes casino gaming. However, it’s probably not a great film to take much inspiration from.
The Hustler (1961)
The Hustler is another great gambling movie that takes place outside of the casino. This film follows the fortunes of Fast Eddie Felson, played by Paul Newman. Eddie is a confident pool player, but he doesn’t reckon for Minnesota Fats.
In a pool duel with Fats, Eddie loses $18,000. That might not sound like much in today’s money, but with inflation, he lost around $154,000! That’s a lot to blow on one game of pool!
Again, The Hustler is a movie which is popular thanks to its frantic, high-stakes appeal. How many of us would really want to lose all that cash on a pool table? Probably not the best question to ask, in fact!
Why Do We Love Big Movie Losses?
It’s safe to say that we love movies where people win and lose big. At the casino or elsewhere, big money gambles carry a genuine thrill. But why is this?
Plenty of casino movies actually get a fair bit wrong about Vegas. So, it’s clearly not the realism! On the whole, people likely watch gambling films for the same escapism they get from actually betting.
However, when you watch a casino movie, you’re not losing any of your own cash! The nail-biting and tension of the casino is safe behind the camera. However, that doesn’t mean things don’t start getting a bit tense!
SOURCES USED
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rounders_(film)
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls051320004/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sting