Top 5 Characters from Gambling Movies

October 22, 2023

There is a rather large number of movies that are based around gambling. For every “Casino” there’s an “Owning Mahowny.” Actually, there are probably way more gambling movies than you realized. All that means is that there are quite a few intriguing characters from which to choose for this list.

Here, we break down the Top 5 characters from gambling movies. Several of the movies are related to sports betting. Cutting it to ten is hard enough. Narrowing it to five…this was a tough one. We start off with the honorable mentions, those that didn’t make the final cut. Then, we give you our Top 5. It’s sure to generate some discussion.

Here we go…

HONORABLE MENTION

- Bernie Lootz – The Cooler: William H. Macy’s character is a born loser but gets lucky in love. His luck begins to change, which is the theme of the movie.
- Teddy KGB – Rounders: John Malkovich with a Russian accent is stellar. When Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) beats Teddy in the end, the Russian agrees to “pay dat man his money.”

Gerry – Mississippi Grind: Gerry is the true degenerate gambler. He wins big, loses big, and knows when to get out of Dodge…or in this case, Mississippi.

Brandon Lang – Two for the Money: Based on a true story, this is what happens when you’re a former college athlete that hooks up with a big-time sports handicapper.

Beth Raymer – Lay the Favorite: We had to have a female character and Beth Raymer’s knack for numbers was amazing.

TOP FIVE Characters from GAMBLING MOVIES

5. Alan Garner – The Hangover

Ok, so not exactly a sports betting movie, but The Hangover is an absolute classic that was set in Las Vegas. Zack Galifianakis as Alan stole the show. His quirkiness and random one-liners were a thing of beauty. Plus, he did win $82,400 playing blackjack.

4. Eddie Felson – The Hustler & The Color of Money

Fast Eddie Felson is the definition of a hustler. He goes toe-to-toe with the legendary Minnesota Fats, beating him initially but losing in the end. He fights for another shot at Minnesota Fats and gets it. He beats him so badly, Fats is forced to quit. The movie was extremely popular and gained a reputation as a modern classic. It didn’t hurt that Paul Newman played Felson. The character was so popular that Newman played Felson again in 1986’s Color of Money.

3. Raymond Babbitt – Rain Man

If only we all had the intellectual abilities of Raymond Babbitt, aka Rain Man. It’s another movie that’s not really about gambling, but there are scenes where the main characters – played by Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman – are in Las Vegas casinos. Babbitt helps his brother Charlie, played by Cruise, win $86,000 playing blackjack. During the filming of the movie, Hoffman would often wander off and play several of the casino games. One of the movie’s staff was assigned to watch Hoffman and make sure he was back in time for his scenes.

2. Nicky Santoro & Sam Rothstein – Casino

How can you have a list of any gambling movies without Casino? Well, you can’t. Robert DeNiro plays Rothstein, the sport handicapper and Mafia boss who runs the Tangiers Casino. His childhood friend Santoro is played by the ultimate gangster, Joe Pesci. There’s not much sports betting in the movie, but Casino is one of the most memorable gambling movies of all-time.

1. Axel Freed/Jim Bennett – The Gambler

If you didn’t know, The Gambler was based on a novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the same guy that wrote Crime & Punishment. The book was turned into a film in 1974 starring James Caan as lead character Axel Freed. In the 2014 version, Mark Wahlberg plays main character Jim Bennett. The lead character is a literature professor with a gambling addiction. In both versions of the film, Freed/Bennett finds himself down on his luck only to break free of debt in the end. Both Caan and Wahlberg play the perfect self-destructive gambler.