You know that anything directed by Martin Scorsese is usually worth watching and his 1995 classic, Casino takes a deep dive into the 1970s criminal gambling underworld of Las Vegas.

This adaptation of Nicholas Pileggi’s book, it is fair to say, more than did it justice, featuring a cast of three of the biggest Hollywood names at the time; Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone, all playing key protagonists, with James Woods thrown into the mix for good measure.

Although it is always a risk re-creating books as movies, it is fair to say that this Scorsese screen-magnet was a gamble that more than paid off; sympathetically directed with a strong cast who portrayed their roles with masterful distinction, Casino was anything but unmemorable.

As a result, in a recent study, data compiled from NewCasinoSites that ranked the top 21 gambling movies of all time with an overall percentage, cemented Casino in fifth place, with 80.50 percent.

Casino fought off strong competition to clinch a spot in the top five as you will find when you read the study, finishing just 6.5 percentage points off first place.

What elements put Casino in the top five?

It would have to be argued that Scorsese’s reputation preceded him at the time and with an ensemble cast of main characters, this combination certainly helped to play a part in how well that movie ranked.

In addition, the strength of the plot definitely assisted, which made sure that the audience was hooked from the start, especially when you factor in the intriguing criminal side of the movie, which centred around the activities of the notorious Chicago mafia.

From corrupt politicians, con artists and hustlers, there are almost similarities to the 1970s classic The Godfather (De Niro featured in the second instalment), where the mafia played centre stage in the upcoming gambling scene.

While not receiving as much acclaim as Francis Ford Coppola’s blockbuster, there is no doubt that Casino portrayed each plot characteristic with similar subtlety.

The soundtracks of the movie which featured a mixture of smooth jazz and classic rock, made for a seamless cinematic experience, because the music helps to capture the mood of the movie perfectly, aiding in illustrating key moments and emotions throughout.

Casino holds off strong competition

The gulf between fifth and fourth in the rankings was a considerable four percentage points; a lot when you consider that the fifth and ninth were separated by just one.

Half of a percentage behind Casino in the study were God of Gamblers, California Split, Ocean’s 11 while The Colour of Money ranked in ninth.

Arguably the most notable of those movies was 2001 release, Ocean’s 11, about heists on a number of Las Vegas casinos and which featured Matt Damon. Further down the list, were other classics including The Hangover, The Gambler, The Cooler and Hard Eight, among others, while ‘21’, starring Hollywood stalwart Kevin Spacey finished last.