Casinos and sportsbetting are not only popular among gamblers, but they are also a popular leitmotif of many movies and TV shows. While some of these movies show the good side of sports betting and rags to riches stories, there are those that show the bad side too. Most of these movies show the lives of people involved in some form of sports betting – including all the drama, excitement, risks, danger and even crime.
If you are eager to find out which movies have sports betting as the main theme, stay tuned. You will be able to find some great examples in our list below.
The Gambler
This 1974 American crime drama starring James Caan, Lauren Huttonwas and Paul Sorvino was directed by Karel Reisz. The Gambler was even nominated for a Golden Globe.
The plot revolves around a Harvard University English professor and his life as a gambler. At a certain point in the movie, Axel Freed, the main character, is left with debts. In addition, this threatens his relationship with Billie, who is fancying the main character. Instead of returning his debts, the professor travels to Las Vegas in order to chase his losses. If you’re familiar with WV online sports betting, then you know what kind of bets Axel liked. After winning a small fortune he manages to lose it all. The situation evolves as Axel tries to make his student fix a game and shave points by offering him cash in return. As the protagonist forces himself into more and more dangerous situations, the truth about the sportsbetting becomes even more obvious – there is no winning for the addicted ones.
Silver Linings Playbook
Silver Lining Playbook is an American romantic comedy-drama from 2012 starring the incredibly famous Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert De Niro. The movie was awarded numerous awards and also an Oscar. Even if the theme of this movie is not strictly about gambling, one of the side stories deals with a man who is an active bettor. Namely, Robert De Niro playing Patrizio “Pat” Solitano Sr. is a man who is a hardcore fan of the Eagles.
Pat’s dedication to cheering for his team is incredible, and he even places bets in order to support his favourites. However, Patrizio won’t share the destiny of the protagonist of The Gambler, as he uses his money to open a restaurant.
Two for The Money
This American movie is a sports-drama starring Matthew McConaughey, Al Pacino, Armand Assante, Rene Russo, and Carly Pope. Another great movie with a sports betting theme which won the world over. It was directed by D. J. Caruso and released in 2005.
In this movie, the main character Brandon Lang, a former college football star faces the end of his football career after an injury. This led him to start considering opting for a different career – handicapping football games. Those people who visit CO online betting market and place handicaps, know exactly what the protagonist was trying to achieve. Brandon gets noticed by Walter Abrams, who runs the sports consulting operations in the US. Needless to say that the duo started a new “business” based on sports betting. Their wealth and popularity skyrockets until things get a sudden turn and become ugly.
Luckily, the happy ending in this movie will give hope to all those fighting gambling addictions.
The Color of Money
The image of gamblers and bookies in the 1980s was much different than the image we have today. Bettors were associated with shady business and they were known as someone who went from pool hall to pool hall looking for betting opportunities. Played by Paul Newman, Eddie ‘Fast Eddie’ Felson is a former pool hustler who is a successful liquor salesman in Chicago. While this is not a transparent cautionary tale, the audience will be able to see what kind of life gambling addicts lead.
The movie shows how betting is not always about the money, and how gamblers aren’t just wagering for the profit. In addition, this movie deals with the psychology of bettors, and much much more than that.
Lay the Favourite
The last but not the least interesting movie on our list is Lay the Favorite directed by Stephen Frears – a 2012 American comedy-drama. Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bruce Willis, Rebecca Hall, and Joshua Jackson, this movie is based on Beth Raymer’s memoirs with the same title. The plot revolves around a young woman and her journey through sports betting and gambling. Played by Rebecca hall, Beth is intrigued by betting and she learns that she has a talent for it.
The movie carries a strong gambling message and as Beth Raymer said in the real-life, gamblers are nothing more than people hooked on the life of endless possibilities.
