Audiences the world over seem to have one thing in common: we love it when a gamble pays off. We love risk takers of all kinds, but perhaps none more so than the down-on-their-luck gambler who takes on a casino heavy weight and wins. Hollywood regularly regurgitates this age-old story, and we lap up each new take with glee. And the best part of watching a gambler go all in on screen? The scenery, of course!
The visual impact of a glamourous casino floor can take the breath away. And there is no need for movie producers to build a custom-made set to capture the enthralling atmosphere surrounding a high-stakes poker game. All they need to do is film on location at one of the many ridiculously extravagant casinos that already exist; casinos that we can all visit in real life – although, you may need to use your casino bonus Canada to win a few bob before you go!
Are you ready for a tour? We’re about to take a look at some of the most luxurious casino resorts ever to have graced the silver screen as the backdrop to a Hollywood story.
The Bellagio
We’ll begin our tour at the Bellagio, one of the most famous casinos in Las Vegas. The visual impact of the Bellagio packs quite a punch, not least thanks to the dancing fountains that welcome you to the casino with an extravagant display of grandeur. The Bellagio casino is home to some seriously high-stakes gaming tables, as well as a huge array of video slots and RNG table games. The World Poker Tour regularly holds star-studded, luxury events at the Bellagio. And when you’re not gambling you can take in a show, peruse the gallery of fine art, and then dine in one of the resort’s many incredible restaurants.
You will see the Bellagio in all it’s Italian-style glory featured in Ocean’s Eleven, in which George Clooney and his crew of famous (and beautiful) faces plan the heist of all heists – to rob the Bellagio’s vaults. The Bellagio’s fabulous fountains are also regularly used as the backdrop to music videos; anyone remember Brittany’s Hit me Baby One More Time?
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is the next stop on our tour of iconic, Las Vegas casinos. This Ancient Rome-themed marvel was the brainchild of Jay Sarno. Sarno was one of the first to bring the casino resort concept to life, and he did it with aplomb. Caesars Palace is an escape from the ordinary, and gamblers are as in love with it today as they were in the late 60s.
Caesars has served as the backdrop for several memorable movies, including Rain Man, Iron Man, Dreamgirls, and Rocky III. It may be more Hollywood fantasy than Hollywood glamour, but film makers love the somewhat bizarre element of the Roman theme. And let’s face it, it’s everything you want a casino to be – who wouldn’t want to lose themselves in Caesars for a few days, let alone a few hours in a movie theatre?
The Casino de Monte Carlo, Monaco
Finally, we head to Monaco: jewel of the Mediterranean, and playground of the extremely rich and famous. The Casino de Monte Carlo takes glamour to heady heights, so high, in fact, that us mere mortals are unlikely to ever set foot inside its hallowed halls. But we can dream. And we can sit back with a bucket of popcorn and watch James Bond saunter through the casino in Never Say Never, or Golden Eye. The Casino de Monte Carlo is synonymous with Bond. Ian Fleming was so taken with Monaco’s iconic casino that he used it to describe the famous casino scene in Casino Royale. If ever there was a place to dress up in full on, bond-style glamour and play the game of your life, its the Casino de Monte Carlo.
