The Sting Crowned Best Bang-For-Buck Casino Movie
Casino films are a glittering slice of cinema where luck, vice and spectacle collide. Set among the roulette wheels, slot machines and blackjack tables, casinos have played a starring role in cinematic history.
Since the mid-1960s, filmmakers have capitalized on the intrigue and glamour that casinos evoke. Throughout modern cinema, casino films have ranged from dark, gritty dramas to big blockbuster comedies.
Ahead of the Golden Globe Nominations on December 8, Gambling.com decided to work out the ‘Best Bang For Your Buck Casino Film,’ featuring 24 high-profile films that depict or involve a casino.
To rank these movies, we measured their online review score (IMDb) and worldwide box office takings against the film’s budget and production costs to create a Casino Movie Score.
Looking at next week’s nominations, the 2025 release Ballad of a Small Player is the pick of the casino-film bunch.
Starring Colin Farrell as a high-stakes gambler in Macau, this psychological thriller has received a positive reception from fans and critics since its release - and could feature in the upcoming awards season.
Top 10: Best Bang For Your Buck Casino Film
Rank | Film | IMBD User Review | Budget* | Box Office* | Casino Movie Score |
1 | The Sting | 8.2 | 5.5 | 156 | 79.7 |
T2 | Leaving Las Vegas | 7.5 | 3.6 | 32 | 68.1 |
T2 | The Hangover | 7.7 | 35 | 469 | 68.1 |
4 | Casino Royale | 8 | 150 | 616 | 63.8 |
T5 | Ocean's Eleven | 7.7 | 85 | 450 | 62.3 |
T5 | The Cincinnati Kid | 7.2 | 3.3 | 15.2 | 62.3 |
T7 | Casino | 8.2 | 52 | 116 | 60.8 |
T7 | Rounders | 7.3 | 12 | 22.9 | 60.8 |
9 | Swingers | 7.2 | 0.2 | 4.5 | 57.9 |
T10 | California Split | 7.1 | 2.1 | 6 | 56.5 |
T10 | Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas | 7.5 | 18.5 | 10.6 | 56.5 |
*in millions of U.S. dollars
The Sting, Best Bang-For-Buck Casino Movie Ever Made
The Sting, a 1973 classic featuring legendary actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford, is officially the Best Bang For Your Buck Casino Film with a Movie Casino Score of 79.7 out of 100.
With an impressive 8.2 star rating and a worldwide gross of $156 million from a small budget of just $5.5m, this timeless classic is by far the best pound-for-pound casino film available.
In joint #2 are the 1995 dark romance Leaving Las Vegas, starring Nicolas Cage, and the 2009 blockbuster comedic hit The Hangover, scoring 68.1 out of 100.
The Hangover became an instant hit, sparking a trilogy. From a modest $35 million budget, it went on to gross $469 million at the worldwide box office.
Rounding out the top five is Daniel Craig’s first foray into being James Bond, Casino Royale (fourth), with a score of 63.8 out of 100.
Then, in joint fifth place are Ocean's Eleven and The Cincinnati Kid, with a score of 62.3 out of 100.
Casino Masterpiece Narrowly Misses Top Five Spot
Directed by the legend, Martin Scorsese, and with the ensemble cast featuring Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci, Casino is considered by many fans as the quintessential casino film.
However, due to its high budget of $52 million, it had to settle for joint seventh place, along with Rounders, starring Matt Damon, both of which came in with a final score of 60.8 out of 100.
The rest of the Top 10 features the low-budget dark comedy Swingers (ninth), with a score of 57.9 out of 100.
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Tied in 10th are 1974’s California Split and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, starring Johnny Depp, with a score of 56.5 out of 100.
Some notable absentees to have missed out on the Top 10 include Oceans 12 and 13, which sit in 18th and 15th, respectively.
The best-reviewed film that missed out on the Top 10 was the 1996 heist drama Hard Eight (7.1/10), which has an overall score of 47.8 out of 100.
