For many years Hollywood has had a fascination with casinos. Whether that is the glamour of a tuxedo-clad James Bond tensely staring down his opponent or a hapless Clark Griswold trying his savings away in National Lampoons Vegas Vacation, directors love the lure of the green felt.

And whilst some films have been total disasters, some have gone on to be critically-acclaimed classics and to this day stand the test of time. As the rise of online casino platforms continues through to 2016, we take a look at the top five best casino movies that has helped shape the industry as we know it.

 

Rounders
Perhaps one of the most realistic poker movies ever made, Rounders stars Matt Damon and Edward Norton who need to earn cash quickly to work off a large debt. A great script and all-star cast, the film delves into the underground world of gambling, with a stellar performance from John Malkovich to boot. With elements of humour, the film isnt gritty as Damon succeeds in gambling away his money, girlfriend, degree and almost life, but its certainly dramatic enough to place it as one of the top gambling films of all time.

 

Casino Royale
Daniel Craig gives Bond a new lease of life in his first outing as 007. Taking on LeChiffre in a high-stakes poker tournament in Montenegro, Casino Royale is smart, cool, funny, and tense. Basically all the things youd expect from a man who lives in a suit and drives an Aston Martin. The film grossed a massive $599,045,960 at the box office worldwide and was generally well received, even though some critics thought that Craig didnt match the typical portrait of James Bond according to the Ian Fleming novels.

 

Rain Man
A true classic, the film follows the story of two long-lost brothers, Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman, on a journey to Las Vegas. A traditional road trip style movie, the film is about discovery, acceptance and family, whilst a trip to Las Vegas casinos lands the pair in an awful lot of trouble.

A truly moving piece of cinema, Cruise and Hoffmans relationship couldnt have worked any better. The film managed to successfully frame a plot around a character, incapable of emotional development whilst also making him lovable.

Hoffman originally wanted Bill Murray in the role of Charlie, but was overruled in favour of Tom. Thankfully.

 

Oceans Eleven
A power-cut, casino robbery and hundreds of armed members of a S.W.A.T team. Of course this was Oceans Eleven. A remake of the Rat Packs 1960 classic, Steven Soderberghs effort is a fine piece of movie-making and has received critical acclaim since opening in 2001.

Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Andy Garcia the film has gone on to have two sequels and is one of the biggest movie trilogies ever, grossing over $1 billion