The most famous casino and gambling films

The world of gambling and casinos has always grabbed the interest of not only gaming enthusiasts, but also of show business. This is especially true of directors and producers who have regularly focused their attention and work on this fascinating world, with its riches and luxury.

One of the first, and certainly most enrapturing, films to capture the essence of gambling was “The Sting”; with two Hollywood stars of the time, Robert Redford and Paul Newman playing two grifters, or confidence tricksters, involved in a series of bets and homicides. The film was released in the now-distant 1973 and won a much-deserved Oscar for photography.

More recently, we saw the 1995 release of the film “Casinò”, with Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, and Joe Pesci. The film describes to perfection the various aspects of the world of Las Vegas and its casinos, Starting with the years in which gaming was controlled by the underworld and gangland interests controlled most betting, the film is well produced and boasts a real calibre cast.

“Rounders” came out in 1998 and represents a ‘must’ for enthusiasts of Texas Hold’em poker. It tells the story of a student, Mike (Matt Damon), who loses in the region of $ 25,000. However, what should theoretically be his last ‘hand’ ignites the desire for revenge – aided by his childhood friend Worm (played by Edward Norton), recently released from prison and keen to lend a helping hand.

“The Cooler” takes a much more light-hearted and entertaining look at the world of gambling. The out-of-luck leading player is assigned the role of cooler by the casino, hoping that his streak of bad luck will rub off on the other players. All goes according to plan until the arrival of a girl who starts to change his luck and the course of events.

Stepping further back in time takes us to a masterpiece from the 1970’s, “California Split” (1974). This excellent film by Robert Altman features a pair of hard gamblers, played by Charlie Waters (Elliot Gould) and Bill Denny (George Segal). The chance meeting in California of two players completely absorbed by a game that has become nothing less than an out-and-out obsession, sees their lives change drastically. One interesting feature in the film is the performance of former WSOP champion – as himself – Amarillo “Slim” Preston.

Last but not least among the best gambling films, is the recently released “21”, by Robert Luketic. Based on true events, the film tells the story of Ben Campbell, a brilliant mathematics student, and a group of fellow classmates who use their skills of calculation under the guidance of professor Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey) to invent and take advantage of a complex system of card counting to win at blackjack. Every weekend, the group head of to Las Vegas to break the bank. All’s well until they come under the suspicious eye of a security guard who makes it his mission in life to ruin forever their desire to play at blackjack.

Download the best roulette online and enjoy a free € 4,000 bonus

Titan Casino is undoubtedly one of the best casinos for online roulette. It boasts years of experience and a wealth of entertainment with some of the best gaming the web has on offer. What’s more, Titan Casino offers roulette enthusiasts the best versions of the game with excellent graphics and unbeatable security and performance thanks to sophisticated Playtech software; a leading company in online gaming software.

Titan Casino was set up as a result of the expertise and experience of one of the most important virtual poker rooms; Titan Poker. It was immediate hit among a wide range of gaming enthusiasts for the quality and professionalism of the games themselves, as well as the excellent round-the-clock customer support available to players.

Titan Casino offers new members a rich welcome bonus of as much as € 4,000 free of charge on their casino account and we highly recommend you try one of its excellent versions of online roulette from among its 90 or so games.

AMERICAN ROULETTE

American Roulette is the most popular version of roulette played in American casinos and differs from other versions thanks to the presence of the double zero (“00”). This represents the thirty-fourth number that players can place a bet on and, as such, has a far greater impact on the ‘tax on the zero’. American Roulette allows players to bet on a greater number of combinations compared to other versions and online gaming is remarkably simple thanks to the software, which highlights where you have placed bets and any winning numbers. (All you need to know about American Roulette)

EUROPEAN ROULETTE

European Roulette is the most widespread and popular version of roulette outside America. Given that it lacks the double zero feature, it is also offers players a far better deal with the ‘tax on the zero’ having half the impact of American roulette. European roulette at Titan Casino also highlights and illuminates all numbers that players bet on. Last but not least, game graphics are top class and every feature taken care of down to the finest detail. (All you need to know about European Roulette)

MINI ROULETTE

A less widespread version of roulette, but one that Titan Casino is nonetheless pleased to offer players. Mini roulette has a far fewer numbers than a normal roulette wheel with only 12 numbers to bet on apart from 0; therefore, making it far easier to pick the winning number and a certain source of entertainment.

LIVE DEALER ROULETTE

Finally, Titan Casino is delighted to offer punters the chance to play the latest version of roulette, and one that is becoming increasingly popular among online casino enthusiasts. Live Dealer Roulette is extremely realistic with breathtaking graphics that make you feels as if you are really sat around a roulette table. Once you choose to play this version of roulette, you will recognise immediately that the croupier is real and actually spinning the wheel. What better way of experiencing online the real thrill and emotions of a real land-based casino?

Play the ‘Lotto’ lottery online for free with Lotto Madness video slot

The ‘Lotto’ lottery is one of the most popular prize-winning competitions in Italy with the chance to win noteworthy cash prizes by betting on as few as two numbers. Lotto allows players to place bets on 11 different paylines; either on 10 paylines simultaneously (all lines with the exception of the ‘national’ payline) or one or more paylines individually. To do so, players must choose two or more numbers ranging from 1 to 90.

If you enjoy playing Lotto, you might well be interested in the new Playtech video slot, Lotto Madness. This is a 20-payline slot machine based on this well-known prize-winning competition which offers punters the chance to win the so-called ‘side jackpot’. The side jackpot requires players to enable the Dollar Ball and select 5 numbers from 1 to 49. The balls are drawn as they appear on the slot paylines; The greater the number of matching balls, the bigger the jackpot.

Furthermore, Lotto Madness video slot also offers players the chance to enjoy the ‘bonus game’, which is triggered whenever scatter symbols appear on the first and fifth paylines. The appearance of the dollar symbol triggers the start of the bonus game feature with free spins and multipliers.

The Lotto Madness video slot is available at the best Playtech casinos, such as Europa Casino and 21 Nova Casino. These two casinos offer a wide range of top-quality games and Europa Casino even welcomes new members with an incredible welcome bonus equivalent to 100% of the deposit. Furthermore, this offer is not only valid when registering but also for every month for the following year. We recommend visiting the official website to discover the full range of offers and promotions from one of Internet’s most attractive and engaging online casinos.

The recently-launched 21 Nova Casino is also able to offer players quality treatment with fabulous bonuses on initial deposits; equivalent to 25% for the first deposit, 80% for the second, and an incredible 320% bonus on the third deposit.

Progressive blackjack: win a rich jackpot with blackjack

One of the most compelling forms of online blackjack is undoubtedly progressive Playtech blackjack, which brings together typical blackjack gaming and the jackpot feature. This makes each hand more entertaining still thanks to the chance to take home a rich jackpot prize.

Progressive blackjack uses 8 packs of 52 cards, which are well shuffled and go to make up the so-called “shoe”. Each player receives two cards from the dealer, with the dealer also receiving two cards. The dealer is required to stick with any hand equivalent to, or above, 17 or deal himself or herself another card if the hand totals 16, or below.

Progressive blackjack rules are therefore the same as for normal blackjack, with the only difference lying in the chance to win the jackpot. The jackpot comprises the side bets laid by players each hand, which increase by one euro at a time. All bets going towards the progressive jackpot are added to all other Playtech casino progressive jackpot totals.

There are, however, specific rules governing progressive blackjack which, for example, do not allow for a surrender option, and which stipulate how and when split hand and double down options may be used. Splitting a hand is permitted whenever a player has a pair although splitting two aces followed by being dealt a card with a value of 10 does not count as blackjack but only as 21. Furthermore, splitting two aces allows the player to only take one more card per hand, and a further re-split is not permitted.

Double down can only be done with the first two cards. You can choose to do a double down following a split but not with blackjack. Finally, players can only be dealt one further card following double down. There is also the option to ‘take insurance’, when the dealer shows an ace. This bet is equivalent to half the original wager and pays 2-to-1 if the dealer has blackjack.

Progressive blackjack bonuses:
2 aces pay € 25
2 aces of the same suit pay € 100
3 aces pay € 250
3 aces of the same suit pay € 2500
4 aces pay € 1500
4 aces (all red or all black) win the jackpot
… read more

A few words of advice before registering with an online casino

If you are new the online gaming, there are few things worth knowing before registering with an online casino or poker room. However, are all casinos reliable and trustworthy? Unfortunately not, although the majority are. I hope the following tips might help you learn what to look out for, and what to avoid.
I gambled ‘for fun’ initially, before moving to betting for real. Over the years, I have tried most online poker rooms and am happy to admit to have been pleasantly surprised by how well most of the online gaming companies work.

As far as I am concerned, I have registered with several online gaming providers and never encountered difficulties either depositing or collecting money. However, others have not been as lucky and I have heard stories of players having significant winnings held back by the casino for absurd farfetched reasons.
So, how do you go about getting rid of the rotten apple and choosing a trustworthy reliable casino? One piece of advice is to go with those that use one of the main software platforms such as MicroGaming or Playtech. The licence to use this platform is not handed out to just anybody; software houses have a reputation to maintain and impose strict demands upon operators.

Another positive sign is the eCOGRA trademark. eCOGRA is a no-profit organisation for players targeted at ensuring trustworthy transparent gaming. In the remote likelihood that a player might encounter a problem with an eCOGRA-certified site, the organisation will take immediate action in order to solve any potential problems arising.

If you want to make doubly sure that an online casino is really reliable, check its pedigree and background; barring natural disasters, little can go wrong when you play using a well-known and renowned gaming site. In my opinion, one such example is Europa Casino. This casino has been online for years and can lay claim to thousands upon thousands of online registered players. It has frequently won awards for its quality and can be considered well and truly secure.