Today, sports betting is a legitimate pastime for millions of people around the world, but back in the day sports betting was mostly a shady activity, especially in the US. The entire world of sports betting makes for some amazing stories and this gave birth to a number of fantastic sports betting inspired movies.
We took a trip down memory lane of the world’s cinematography and found 7 of the best movies ever made that had sports betting and bettors in the focus. If you are fascinated with the world of gambling and all it brings with it, here are a few movies you may want to watch as one of the pastimes during the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Color of Money
There are quite a few cautionary tales out there warning the viewers against gambling of any type but The Color of Money is not such a movie. Instead, this 1986 movie is a psychological drama that delves deep into the identity and emotions of professional gamblers of the 80s, who were quite unlike pros we see today who often only bet online as seen at BettingBilly.
Starring Tom Cruise and Paul Newman, The Color of Money is absolutely star studded and a masterpiece in its own right. The movie follows the couple who play a master bettor and his apprentice as they journey through the gambling underworld of the time and face both gambling and life dramas along the way.
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Casino
The title of this 1995 Martin Scorsese masterpiece may make you think that the movie is not about sports betting at all, but this is quite the opposite of the truth. The film looks at young Frank “Ace” Rothstein, one of the best odds makers who ever lived. This real world figure was recognized for his skill and allowed to basically run Las Vegas during the 1970s, when gangsters owned this gambling paradise from the ground up.
Casino portrays a realistic and dark image of the early Las Vegas that was organized and run by some of the most dangerous people in USA at the time. Like most Scorsese’s films, Casino looks deep into the characters involved and portrays each of them as a real human being with passions, fears and desires. If you want to see a true masterpiece and love sports betting, casino and gangster related movies, Casino is one you don’t want to miss out on.
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Two for the Money
The story is based loosely on the character of Brandon Lang, a college athlete who turns into a sports handicapper. Lang starts off doing a boring telemarketing job that seems to be getting him nowhere, but his talents at picking winners in football matches get the attention of Walter Abrams, who helps him make it big as a handicapper.
The movie starts two of the all-time greats, Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey, making it one destined for greatness. Two for the Money looks into the emotions and the ups and downs of sports bettors and does not deal with the mechanics of betting as some of the other movies that touch on the subject do.
Two for the Money may just be one of the most insightful films looking into the highs and the lows of the professional sports betting lifestyle. If you are thinking of trying to bet on sports more seriously, this film may just be the motivation one way or the other.
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Eight Men Out
Sports betting is often associated with game fixing and throwing and Eight Men Out is a film about one of the greatest such scandals in history, the 1919 World Series. This real world MLB scandal saw eight members of the Chicago White Sox banned from MLB for life due to throwing the Series Finals.
The movie’s association with sports betting is the fact the Series was thrown for sports betting interests. The White Sox were greatly favored by the bookies and their elimination over the eight game series made the group that paid them off a substantial profit.
Charlie Sheen and John Cusack star in the movie as two of the young players who decided it was worth throwing the Series due to disputes with the club owner. The movie looks at both sides of the medal without any assumptions and portrays a realistic image of the event as well as an unbiased look at all the involved parties.
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Smart Money
The worlds of sports betting and stock market are often paralleled by many and the main protagonist of Smart Money, Jimmy wants to become a stock broker himself. In order to do so, he decides he will acquire the starting capital and money he needs to get his license by joining an illegal sports betting syndicate.
While this sounds like a good idea to Jimmy early on, things start to take a turn for the worst really fast and he is faced with make it or break it decisions he wasn’t hoping for. The thrilling drama takes the viewers to the edge and is certainly worth a watch.
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The Gambler
Loosely based on the 1867 novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Gambler is a tale of Alex Freed, an English professor who enjoys basketball and gambling just a little bit too much. Despite having a great life and family, Alex ends up in massive gambling debts over betting on basketball games and extends the problems by borrowing money from his own mother.
The drama only gets more complex when the main protagonist talks a young basketball player to cheat for him, which instead of resolving his problems only makes matters worse. Can Alex turn his life around or does it all end badly, you can find out by having a look at the actual picture.
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Let It Ride
Anyone familiar with sports betting and gambling also knows about hot and cold streaks and how people may believe in them just a bit too much. Let it Ride is an amazing movie about a cab driver who accidentally gets his hands on a great horse racing tip which he uses and makes a fortune at the track.
However, the drama does not end here, as the cabby played by Richard Dreyfuss keeps on gambling and starts to win even more. Will he end up broke and without any of his winnings or is he going to break the bank? Watch Let it Ride to find out!
