Young and old, some of the most beloved and critically-acclaimed gambling movies of all time have been filmed here in the Empire State.
New York is the fourth most populous state in America, and New York City is home to several historic and iconic sports franchises, including the NHL’s Rangers, NBA’s Knicks, MLB’s Yankees and Mets and the NFL’s Giants and Jets.
In January, mobile sports betting went live in New York. Popular sportsbooks like BetMGM New York, FanDuel New York, Caesars New York Sportsbook and DraftKings New York have taken off in the Empire State. Some of these sportsbooks, including BetMGM, are offering risk-free bets for new customers.
Not even a full quarter of the way through 2022, the state of New York has already in more than $5 billion worth of mobile sports wagers.
Considering how much the sports gambling industry has taken off here, perhaps we’ll see several more blockbuster gambling films be set and filmed in New York in the not-so-distant future.
With that all said, let’s take a look at the three best popular gambling movies that were based in New York.
Uncut Gems (2019)
Billy Madison, Big Daddy and Mr. Deeds star Adam Sandler took center stage for this crime thriller.
Uncut Gems was directed by brothers Benny and Josh Safdie. Sandler plays the main character, Howard Ratner. The cast also includes Idina Menzel, Julia Fox and Lakeith Stanfield.
Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett also stars as himself, and his career with the Boston Celtics is a focal point of the film plot.
Ratner, who owns a jewelry store in New York City, has a gambling addiction problem that takes a toll on his personal life. He also puts himself in danger by getting involved with criminal loan-sharkers.
Uncut Gems received high acclaim from pundits. Fox earned a nomination for the Breakthrough Actor Award at the 2019 Gotham Awards, which Taylor Russell went on to win for her role as Emily Williams in Waves.
Aside from the high entertainment value, Uncut Gems also provides the audience with a warning as to how gambling addiction can take over and greatly damage one’s life.
The film greatly demonstrates the need for sports fans and gamblers to bet responsibly.
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Rounders (1998)
1998 was a great year for award-winning actor Matt Damon. Two of his most popular films, Saving Private Ryan and Rounders, were both released that year.
Saving Private Ryan performed much better at the box office and is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. It’s probably a stretch to put Rounders in that category, but the film received very favorable reviews.
Rounders also stars Edward Norton (one of his breakout films), John Turturro, John Malkovich and Famke Janssen, known for her performance in the James Bond film GoldenEye.
Set in The Big Apple, the film follows the friendship of longtime friends Mike McDermott (played by Damon) and Lester Murphy (played by Norton). Having lost tens of thousands in a poker game, McDermott tries to learn from his mistakes and quits poker altogether.
But Murphy gets the two of them into trouble when he gets carried away with immense gambling habits. The two of them suddenly find their lives in danger, and now McDermott must find ways to get his professional and personal life back on track.
The Gambler (1974)
The cast for this popular ‘70s film includes James Caan (known for his role in The Godfather), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas), Lauren Hutton (Paper Lion) and Broadway performing legend Morris Carnovsky.
The Gambler was directed by Karel Reisz and produced by Robert Chartoff and Rocky and popular producer Irwin Winkler.
Like Uncut Gems and Rounders, gambling addiction is a central part of the plot for The Gambler.
Caan’s character, Axel Freed, struggles with gambling as he tries to balance his professional life (a college professor) with his family. Freed finds his life in danger when he gradually racks up a debt worth tens of thousands of dollars from the mafia.
Caan received a nomination for the Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama at the 32nd Golden Globe Awards. Jack Nicholson won the performance for his role as J.J. Gittes in Chinatown.
A remake of the film (also titled “The Gambler”) was released in 2014. It starred Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, Brie Larson and Michael K. Williams.
