If you’re a fan of gambling, whether in person or on live dealer casinos from Casinos.com, you might have wondered which movies were shot in real-life casinos. After all, many gambling-themed movies have been made over the years. But did any use real-life casinos as part of their sets? And were there other movies outside the gambling focus that also used similar sets? Join us as we explore nine famous movies that were shot at real-life casinos.
Casino (1995)
We can’t start off this list without mentioning the most obvious movie to have a casino as part of its filming location. Released in 1995, Martin Scorsese’s film Casino was a box office hit around the world. It starred Robert De Niro as Sam Rothstein, a bookie and expert handicapper hired by the Italian mafia to run the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. And as you might have guessed, this fictional casino is portrayed in the film by a legitimate casino in Las Vegas known as the Riviera. This casino becomes the focal point as Rothstein continues trying to make his work at the casino successful despite many complex challenges thrown in his way.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Although both were torn down years ago, the Riviera and the Stardust Casino live on in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This film, based on the hit novel by Hunter S. Thompson, features a journalist and his “doctor” friend hoping to land a story in Las Vegas but end up exploring the region while under the influence of a galaxy of substances. Their wild journey has become a cult classic that gives a distorted view of casinos, hotels, and a slew of other spots in Las Vegas.
Mars Attacks (1996)
Another Las Vegas casino known as the Landmark got a role in the 1996 cult classic Mars Attacks, directed by Tim Burton. However, in this case, it was not the focal point. Instead, the movie is as its title suggests: Martians invading and attacking Earth’s inhabitants. One of the victims of this assault was the casino itself. Its demolition had already been put into motion in real life, which upset Burton, who had enjoyed staying there. As a result, he chose to immortalize its demolition in Mars Attacks, which in the movie had the Martians destroy it.
Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen (2001, 2004, and 2007)
Throughout the Ocean’s film trilogy, a series of heist films, the plot and the scenes evolution with casino games at Bellagio Resort and Casino remained a familiar face. This was mainly due to the close relationship the movie’s producer, Jerry Weintraub, had with Steve Wynn, the Bellagio owner at the time. That made it much easier to film there, allowing each of the Ocean’s films to develop the story of Danny Ocean and his crew without changing up a key location of the series.
Crazy Rich Asians (2018)
As an over-the-top movie about the romance between Rachel Chu and her famously rich boyfriend, Nick Young, it’s only fair that Crazy Rich Asians has a setting in the Marina Bay Sands. Costing around £5.5 billion, this resort is massive, consisting of the following:
- Hotel with over 2,000 rooms
- A large 120,000-square-metre convention-exhibition centre
- An 800,000-square-foot mall
- Museum
- Theatre
- Celebrity chef restaurants
- Art-science exhibits
- The world’s largest casino
All in all, the Marina Bay Sands is an extravagant setting perfect for portraying the significant wealth of the Asian families in the film.
Iron Man (2008)
One of the most fantastical settings for a casino has to be Shane Black and Jon Favreau’s Iron Man. In the movie, Tony Stark, the alter ego of superhero Iron Man, is named the winner of an award for creating the latest advances in military armament. However, he was too busy enjoying himself at the Caesars Palace casino, so someone else accepted the award on his behalf. The casino in question is one of the more popular casinos in which movies have been shot.
Rain Man (1988)
Paving the way for Iron Man’s famous choice of Caesars Palace is Barry Levinson’s Rain Man. It’s all about a yuppie’s quest to gain a larger share of his estranged father’s fortune from his severely autistic older brother. This metaphorical gamble is reflected with a more tangible one in the movie when the two brothers end up at Caesars Palace playing—and counting—cards.
Casino Royale (2006)
Of course, we can’t forget the exploits of James Bond when thinking of sets that use real-life casinos, especially in Casino Royale. In this movie, Bond goes up against villain Le Chiffre, who plans to raise money in a poker game to fund terrorist organizations. As part of that, Bond stays at the Hotel Splendide, which uses the Grandhotel Pupp in Czechia as its backdrop. It’s an elegant hotel and casino spot that opened in 1701 and retains much of its past aesthetic.
21 (2008)
With a name like 21, it’s not surprising that the movie focuses on blackjack, one of the most popular casino games of all time. The film follows six MIT students who win millions from Las Vegas casinos due to their card-counting training under the tutelage of Professor Micky Rosa, played by Kevin Spacey. To emphasize the Las Vegas setting, the film made use of multiple real-life local casinos, including Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, the Red Rock Casino, and the Hard Rock Casino.
Conclusion
In short, many films have used real-life casinos as part of their sets. It’s a testament to the atmosphere and aesthetic of these hot spots that you can think about now every time you visit any of these legendary casinos.
