Five Iconic Real-life Casinos Featured in Movies
Casino movies have been one of Hollywood’s top earners. Our screens were graced with Ocean’s Eleven, Rounders, and Casino. But can you visit these places?
Did you know that some of those movies and scenes were shot in real-life casinos? Yes, some of these gems were filmed in existing casinos that you could visit yourself! Think of playing your favourite table game where your favourite actor did? Below are five iconic real-life casinos featured in movies where you can do just that!
The Bellagio
With its magnificence and elegance, The Bellagio Hotel and Casino was the filming ground for the 2001 Hollywood movie, ‘Oceans Eleven’.
What about the cast and plot?
The flick which features an ensemble cast of stars including Matt Damon revolves around a gangster named Danny Ocean played by George Clooney. Upon his discharge, Ocean breaks his parole and heads to California.
His mission is to converge with his mate Rusty Ryan played by Brad Pitt and plot a heist to steal from Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia), an owner of three casinos including the Bellagio. The stake is $160 million.
What about the Bellagio now?
The casino still stands and maintains the same luxurious decor, as observed in the movie. Find your way to Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas in Nevada, and enjoy plenty of slots and classic blackjack tables.
If you are one who relishes the finer things in life, then The Bellagio is your must-visit casino. Savour the luxury it grants, the beautiful Italian theme, the fountains famous for how the water dances to music and place a bet on the manned tables. Play responsibly, and maybe you might get to win big as the Ocean’s Eleven!
Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood Casino found on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada is the splendid casino featured in ‘21’, a 2008 casino movie.
The movie’s blurb
The movie inspired by a true story of an MIT blackjack crew that uses covert signalling and card counting to increase their winning chances at the table. Each weekend the team flies to Las Vegas to play at the Planet Hollywood.
The casino today
Even though ownership of Planet Hollywood has changed since the filming of 21, the casino remains as magnificent. The casino’s theme is inspired by Hollywood and characterised by neon and reflective surfaces. Use of glass delivers a sleek look—various casino machines, including table games and slots, plaster the three-acre casino floor.
The Playing Field Race and Sports Book area houses a VIP section, 33 plasma screens and two jumbo screens. The casino also added first of their kind skill-based gaming machines with the promise of adding more. While the movie ‘21’ shows you the beautiful casino, visit Planet Hollywood and have a blast.
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is arguably the epitome of the Las Vegas lifestyle. It features luxury, restaurants, vibrant nightlife, and celebrities throng the place!
The affluent casino gives visitors a sense of the Roman Empire lifestyle. References to the Roman empire like columns are found all over the place. Everyone embodies Caesar, whose 1.85 m statue stands at the casino’s entrance.
What movies have been shot here?
As you would expect, various movies feature the casino. They include ‘Iron Man’, ‘Rain Man’, and ‘Dreamgirls’. Most notable was the film ‘The Hangover’, showing various parts of the casino. The movie is about a group of friends played by famous actors like Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis. They visit it to celebrate their friend’s bachelor party. In the movie, the casino lobby, pool, check-in desk and entrance drive are featured.
What can you do now at Caesars Palace?
The real-life casino offers various games curated to attract high rollers. It features fifty table games such as craps, mini-baccarat, Spanish 21, baccarat and Pai Gow. It also has an all day and night open poker game that host various slot machines and video poker machines. If you got the guts of Caesar, you should tour the magnificent palace.
The Venetian
This majestic piece of architecture on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States, has also had its share of Hollywood films.
Its movies
It appears in the first “Ocean’s Eleven” movie and ‘Miss Congeniality 2.’ Its more prominent feature was in Rowan Atkinson’s 2001 film, ‘Rat Race’. In the film, the Venetian owner organises a race from Las Vegas to New Mexico. Though the price is $2 million, the racers are unaware of high rollers are betting on them.
The Venetian today
The casino is operational, and you can visit it at any time. Its two casino floors house over 139 tables games, a poker room with 59 tables, a high-end salon and more than 2,400 slot machines.
Tips: Catch the casino’s DeepStack Extravaganza, one of the most popular poker tournaments in the world.
Visit the Race and Sports Book and put your odds feeling like a king. The room hosts 118 betting stations with the ability to show 34 different events at a go. The 21 years and above-only casino celebrate its guests through a loyalty programme. The more games you play, the more points you earn, giving you better rewards.
The Mirage
The icon architectural piece on the Las Vegas strip has a hotel and amazing fun-oriented activities houses one of the leading movie casinos.
What movies can you catch it in?
The Mirage casino appears in various movies including ‘Oceans Eleven’, ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, and ‘Pure Country’. If you are a video game lover, you may have come across it in ‘Grand Theft Auto’ as The Visage and ‘Need For Speed: Carbon as The Mirror’.
In the 1997 American comedy ‘Vegas Vacation’, the casino is featured as a holiday destination choice for Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase) and his family. Griswold develops a gambling addiction and plays among the one hundred and eleven tables of the Mirage while staying at the hotel.
How about this casino nowadays?
For gamblers, The Mirage is a haven. On the floor, you will find bonuses, play slots and card games. Furthermore, the casino’s sports section includes live games on which you can bet. We know these are popular these days, so we selected the best US live casino bonuses for you.
You get to try the restaurants or enjoy a drink at the bar. To cool down, you can take a swim with dolphins or marvel at an erupting volcano. If you think you got what it takes, this Polynesian themed casino is for you.
We leave on this note
Most casino movies and scenes are shot in real-life casinos. Some if not most, are still operational and offer the best deals and odds. In case a casino in a movie impresses you, look it up and visit it. Play and experience the thrill first-hand. Most celebrities flock these joints, who knows? It may be your lucky day!
References used