HomeFilmGambling movies made in Canada

Gambling movies made in Canada

Casino films often give its audience a sensational narrative that is relevant to both casino aficionados and movie buffs who have never indulged in a casino game.

However, in case you are a proud local who likes to visit an online casino in Canada, you may be filled with pride knowing that there have been a few fantastic gambling movies that had been  produced in your homeland.

Cold Deck

Filmed in Toronto and directed by Zack Bernbaum, ‘Cold Deck' follows the story of Bobby.

Bobby is an obsessive gambler who lives with his sickly mother, Audrey. The two are often at loggerheads with each other as Audrey frowns on Bobby's gambling habit, as gambling had led to his father's ruin.

Meanwhile Bobby is in a romantic relationship with Kim, a waitress of a gaming establishment, where he spends the majority of his time playing poker.

As Audrey’s bills increase and Bobby keeps losing his bets, Bobby’s friend, Ben, suggests that Bobby take part in a financially lucrative poker tournament that he has come across and the duo divide the winnings with Audrey. They proceed to steal a car and sell it to have enough money for the buy-in.

Later on Bobby takes Audrey’s life savings to chance the high-stake poker game. During the game series, Bobby forms a solid friendship with a violent character named Turk. This film is an expressive ride of emotions that is best for a tranquil movie night at home.

Lucky Girl

‘Lucky Girl', known to some as ‘My Daughter’s Secret Life', tells the story of Kaitlyn- a high school student who slowly but surely becomes addicted to gambling. The film starred Elisha Cuthbert and Sherry Miller, and was directed by John Fawcett.

The plot thickens and takes a turn for the worst when she tries to get money for a holiday to Amsterdam with her friends, but becomes over involved in numerous forms of gambling.

She starts to bet on sports more habitually, which builds up to a series of unfortunate mishaps. 

The Last Casino

In case you might have a keen interest in the history of gambling and want to see a film that may have been off your radar until now, ‘The Last Casino' might be worth the watch for you.

This 2004 drama film consists of a funny edge that drives deep into the core of gambling and, in particular, Blackjack.

This is a film deliberately aimed at blackjack fans, similar to the Hollywood film ’21.’

It follows the story of a professor who, even though being banned from casinos in Ontario and Quebec, trained three students how to count cards to assist him in converting $1000 into $35,000 and take care of his monetary problems within a period of nine months.

The story of the MIT Blackjack Team is extensively mentioned in ‘The Last Casino'. Leader of the team, Bill Kaplan, coached the MIT Blackjack Team -which was made up of a group of students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Kaplan adjourned his admission to Harvard University in the hopes of developing a carefully worked-out model that would benefit him in winning at blackjack

This is a film devoted to blackjack fans, akin to the Hollywood film ’21.’ It is the story of a professor who, despite being barred from casinos in Ontario and Quebec, taught three students how to count cards to help him transform $1000 into $35,000 and address his financial issues over nine months.

Owning Mahowny

People who delight in going to the ultimate real money casinos in Canada will be captivated by ‘Owning Mahowny', an unrivalled Canadian gambling film released in 2003

This film provides a picture in the real-life account of a Canadian bank manager, Dan Mahowny, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who stole money from his bank and used it to make a chain of dangerous bets in Atlantic City.

This is a factual story of a bank employee who managed to steal over $10 million from the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce to supply his gambling addiction.

Hoffman is intense in the role, mysterious and moving to the same extent, a man who is struggling to control himself but does his utmost to hold on.

The film is so significantly adjusted to Hoffman’s wavelength that it is virtually too far-flung from the audience. The portrayal of Mahowny shows a man who is so absorbed in his feelings that viewers sometimes can’t even see it.

Nevertheless, this is debatably the closest a movie has come to picking up the anxiety of battling a gambling addiction.

Conclusion

Today, there is an overabundance of eccentric archetypal gambling movies that you can discover. You might have been looking for the best casino movies to enjoy with your gambling playmates. The films mentioned above provide adventure, entertainment, and lessons to gambling and movie devotees.

Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of Piñata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

Must Read

Advertisement