In the last fifteen years, the gambling industry has become one of the most powerful industries in the world. Gambling became a favorite leisure activity for so many people all over the world but no other place in the entire world can match the numbers in the gambling industry that Las Vegas is showing during that period.

Over the years, governments have imposed different regulations on this industry that should have limited the power this industry has.

However, gambling industry managed to overcome all the problems that were a result of those regulations.

• Gambling is illegal in many countries around the world
• There is a close connection between gambling and organized crime
• Millions of people from all over the world travel to Las Vegas to experience gambling in some of the biggest casinos in the world

For many people, spending time gambling in Las Vegas is just a form of vacation. However, for many others, gambling has become serious problem and because of that experts have been talking about the gambling addiction for many years.

The phenomenonof gambling and the development of casinos have been one of the most intriguing issues for a lot of people and because of that, this piece is bringing you with the overview of top 20 documentaries that deal with the issue of gambling and casinos.

1.Casino Wars – Betting Vegas

• Year: 2011
• Author: Brendan Goeckel
• Country: the United States
• Cast: Joey Aliano, Stephen Miles, Sal Piacente, Travis Lance Sosa, Shawn Wilson
• Theme: Investigation of anti-cheating measures implemented by

One of the biggest issues that gambling industry and casinos are facing is the issue of cheaters who are looking for ways to cheat their way to some big winnings. A documentary called Casio Wars is investigating this issue and how casinos are fighting against the cheaters.

Over the years, casinos in Las Vegas have been using top-notch technology in order to detect the players that are using cheating techniques. This documentary features a conversation with a former slot machine cheater called Mr. D where he discusses his cheating techniques and whether or not those techniques were successful.

Casino Wars provides an insight into the issue of cheating with the first-hand experience of a player who used so-called ‘light wand device’ to cheat on slot machines. According to some sources, Mr. D has won more than $1 million by using this device.

Besides that, this documentary also shares the other side of the story, the one from the casinos. It provides insight into the technology that casinos are using to detect players who might be cheating.

That process is not easy and it takes a lot to be sure that a certain player is actually cheating while playing different casino games.

2.Getting Rich in Las Vegas

• Year: 2006
• Author: Travel Channell
• Country: the United States
• Cast: Max Rubin, Wendy Llambias, Jacque von Staden, Michael Gaughan, Anthony Curtis
• Theme:The rich life of Las Vegas and how to become a part of that life

Getting Rich in Las Vegas is another documentary that investigates the life of gamblers in Las Vegas. This documentary investigates the tactics of Las Vegas casinos used in order to attract gamblers from all over the world.

With offering gamblers free suits to providing for their every need, Las Vegas Casinos manage to attract some of the richest people in the world. This documentary also takes a look at some low rollers who not so fortunate to be given free penthouses and they are not that interested in casino management.

However, casinos are not able to survive without those low rollers as high rollers are not the ones who are keeping the casino business going in Las Vegas. This documentary also touches upon the casinos’ abilities to know their clients or players and to attend to all their wishes in order to provide them with as comfortable place to play casino games as possible.

3.Gambling Addiction & Me – The Real Hustler

• Year: 2012
• Author: Alexis Conran
• Country: the United Kingdom
• Cast:Alexis Conran
• Theme: Personal insight in the problem of gambling addiction presented through the experience of Alexis Conran

Gambling Addiction & Me – the Real Hustler is a very personal insight into the problem of gambling addiction told through the life of Alexis Conran whose father was a con artist who was caught cheating in the casinos.

Throughout the documentary, Alexis Conran is investigating the reasons that made his father a gambling addict that led him to end up in jail in Greece. This documentary also investigates the gambling addiction through the perspective of several gamblers who have lost a lot of money in short period of time and who admitted to being gambling addicts.

Throughout the entire documentary, Alexis Conran is trying to understand his father’s motivation and to understand the gambling addiction and what makes people give up on everything, including their families, just to gamble.

Alexis Conran also takes a look at the issue of online casinos or online gambling that is available at any given time in the entire United Kingdom. The author also takes a look at the institutions that provide help and advice for people who are facing gambling addictions and other problems related to the gambling.

4.High Rollers High Risk

• Year: 2014
• Author: Linton Besser
• Country: Australia
• Cast:Sandy Boucher, John Broome, Nelson Rose, Jose Pereira Coutinho
• Theme: The connection between gambling industry, high rollers, and organized crime

Macau is one of the biggest gambling centers in the world. Annual profits from gambling industry are expressed in dozens of billions of dollars. This documentary investigates the connection between Macau as gambling center and the organized crime from China.

China’s triads have been involved in the gambling industry in Macau for a long time and through those connections, high rollers are brought to Macau in order to gamble. High Rollers High Risk also investigates whether or not Australian gamblers are affected by Macau’s gambling industry.

Besides that, it also takes a look at the violent history of Macau that has been proven to be connected to the connection between gambling industry in Macau and organized crime organizations from China. This documentary also names some of the most important figures from Chinese triads who are involved in the gambling industry in Macau.

The leaders of triads are some of the biggest and most powerful criminals in the world and this documentary has proven that they are involved in bringing high rollers to Macau and other illegal and much worse action in Macau’s gambling industry.

5.One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stu Ungar

• Year: 2006
• Author: Al Szymanski
• Country: the United States
• Cast:Jason Blaine, Rusty Goehringer, Nicholas Sireci, Lyn Spencer
• Theme: A portrait of Stu Ungar who is one of the biggest legends of poker in the entire world

Stu Ungar is familiar with being one of the most successful casino poker players in the world. This documentary is an insight into the life of one of the biggest legends of poker who has overcome many odds and succeeded in something that rarely any other player has succeeded.

This documentary also depicts the dark side of Stu Ungar’s life that involved huge loses sports and horse betting, the use of thedrug and the gambling addiction that made him gamble in every opportunity that he got.

Through a series of never before published recorded Stu Ungar’s interviews, One of a Kind: the Rise of Stu Ungar documentary is depicting the life of a man who many believe to the best poker player that ever lived.

This documentary is a story of a very troubled man who tried to find comfort in gambling. Stu Ungar died at the age of 45 as a result of adrug overdose and it was one of the shocking moments in the world of gambling ever.

6.Breaking Vegas: The True Story of the MIT Blackjack Team

• Year: 2004
• Author: Bruce David Klein
• Country: the United States
• Cast:Jon Hirschtick, Ben Mezrich, Mr. M
• Theme:The story of MIT Blackjack Team that tried to cheat their way into big winnings

Breaking Vegas: the True Story of the MIT Blackjack Team is the documentary about the group of MIT students who used card counting in order to cheat their way to huge winning and to take down big casinos in Las Vegas.

Group of MIT students was one of the most successful groups of gamblers that cheated while playing casino games. The movie depicts the entire group of students and it focuses the most on the head of the entire operation, Mr. M.

This group has developed one of the most sophisticated card counting methods ever developed. This documentary also features conversations with the former members of the MIT Blackjack Team in which they are speaking about the techniques that they were using in order to fool casinos’ surveillance and the people who watch out for cheaters in those casinos.

Over the years, MIT Blackjack team had a lot of problems and many members of the team were banned from many casinos after being caught and it took some time for this team to become successful in their operations.

7.High Stakes: The Sam Trickett Story

• Year: 2013
• Author: Richard Adams
• Country: the United States
• Cast:Sam Trickett
• Theme:Sam Trickett and the story of his success

Sam Trickett is one of the most successful professional players in the world and the biggest earning poker player in the United Kingdom. In his career, Sam Trickett was famous for his high stakes that he took and the winnings that he made in the tournaments.

The documentary High Stakes: The Sam Trickett Story depicts the life of this poker player who had to go through thin and tins to get where he was at the top of his career. However, even his career was not without low moments as he also struggled with the gambling addiction that many professional gamblers have.

At one point, his entire career was hanging on a threat as the problems with gambling addiction continued to pile on. While this documentary celebrates the life and career of Sam Trickett, it is also a window into the dark side of the gambling industry and gambling addiction that has become a huge problem for so many people all over the world.

8.Modern Marvels: The History of Casino Technology

• Year: 1999
• Author: Bruce Nash
• Country: the United States
• Cast:Daniel Eitnier, Marshall Fey, Don King, Lloyd Sherr, Bill Weidner
• Theme:The development of technology used by casinos for games as well as for surveillance

Modern Marvels: The History of Casino Technology is adocumentary about the technology that casinos are using in order to make the experience of playing casino games as enjoyable for players as possible.

Besides that, this documentary introduces the story of one of the biggest casinos in the world, the Foxwoods Resort Casino. This documentary is investigating the technology that this casino is using and what kind of information the casino gets by people using that technology.

This documentary was released back in 1999 and because of that, the technology used in the documentary might be outdated in 2017. Despite that, this documentary is still a great insight into the importance of technology for casinos and the levels of importance have not been reduced in the recent years.

Besides that, this documentary is agreat picture of gambling industry at the turn of the21st century and it also provides an insight into the historical development of gambling industry all over the world.

9.The Player: Secrets of a Vegas Whale

• Year: 2014
• Author: Trish Regan
• Country: the United States
• Cast:Don Johnson
• Theme:Insight scoop of Don Johnson story of success and his rise to glory

Don Johnson is one of the most successful gamblers in the United States and over his career, he managed to win more than $15 million. The Player: Secret of a Vegas Whale is a documentary about Don Johnson and his success.

The documentary focuses on his career and the accusation about him counting the cards and winning money in that way. However, Don Johnson proves in this documentary that he is not counting cards.

Additionally, through the interviews with the CEOs of some of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas such as MGM and Caesar, this documentary clarifies the accusation of card counting as CEOs of those casinos are all saying that he has won all that money fair and square without cheating.

This documentary follows Don Johnson as he visits casinos that pay for him to come to their casinos and to play. Those perks are often worth several thousands of dollars and those casinos often play much more to bring Don Johnson to their casino in order for him to gamble as they believe that they will win a lot of money from him.

10.Gambling – Against The Odds

• Year: 2009
• Author: Mike Kleinsteuber
• Country: the United States
• Cast:Pretty Boy Floyd,
• Theme:The rise of gambling industry in the United States and the consequences of gambling addiction

Gambling has become a very serious problem for a huge number of people as they have lost all they have because of their gambling addiction. Gambling – Against The Odds is adocumentary that deals with the consequences of gambling addiction and what gambling industry has done to the society in general.

This documentary is a very detailed insight into the dark area of gambling and it shows the suffering of people who are dealing with gambling addiction. Besides that, this documentary gives aface to gambling addiction as it features interviews with several people who suffered or are still suffering from gambling addiction.

They all talk about the difficulties they have been in and the gambling drive that forced to gamble even when they did not want to. Just like any other addiction, gambling seems to be providing people with enjoyment and pleasure moment but the long-term consequences are devastating for the gamblers and the people around them.

11.Vegas Surveillance – Cheats and Scams

• Year: 2007
• Author: Paul Abeyta, Peter Kaikko
• Country: the United States
• Cast:Jessie Beaudoin, Eric Powell, Tom Pohlman, Bill Zender, Derk Boss, Sal Piacente
• Theme:The importance of surveillance in the effort to prevent cheating in casinos

Vegas Surveillance – Cheats and Scams is adocumentary about the importance of surveillance in the modern day gambling business. This documentary features several professionals who are working in the surveillance department who spend their days watching surveillance camera recordings following what is happening in the casino.

Besides that, this documentary is also focusing on techniques and actions that gamblers use in order to cheat while playing. With the help of professional, this documentary reveals the most common techniques and it explains how cheaters are actually doing it.

Additionally, this documentary investigates the reasons why a player might be cheating in a casino when he or she knows that every corner of the casino is covered with surveillance cameras. Besides focusing on players, this documentary also investigates the importance and involvement of dealers in the cheating.

Even though dealers are rarely involved in those actions there are still several cases where dealers proved to be crucial for cheating. Because of that, casinos are watching dealers on cameras as well in order to make sure that the dealer is doing their job.

12.Breaking Vegas – The Dice Dominator

• Year: 2005
• Author:Ted Schillinger
• Country: the United States
• Cast:JT Mollner, Barry Sigismondi
• Theme:The story about Dom LoRiggio and the origin of his nickname Dice Dominator

Breaking Vegas – The Dominator, a documentary about Dom LoRiggio, a card counter, who became oneof the most successful figures of the 2000s in Las Vegas and the entire gambling industry. In the beginning, LoRiggio’s game of choice was Blackjack, however, he soon made a shift and he started to play crabs.

The documentary provides an insight into the Dom’s life and professional career and how became the Dice Dominator. This documentary also reveals how Dom became Dice Dominator through the teachings of his mentor who taught him everything he knows.

Over the years, Dom LoRiggio became one of the best craps players in the world and that got in many troubles with the casinos. Even though they could not prove that he has been cheating, many casinos have banned him from playing in those casinos.

This documentary reveals how Dice Dominator became one of the biggest enemies of many casinos in Las Vegas as they did not want him in their casinos because he was winning huge sums of money.

13.Drugs Inc. High Stakes Vegas

• Year: 2012
• Author:Andrew Parkin
• Country: the United States
• Cast:/
• Theme:The connection between drug use and the gambling industry

The gambling industry has been known for being one of the ruthless industries in the world. Because of that, the pressure of winning in Las Vegas is overwhelming. Because of that, many players use different drugs in order to keep them awake and sane while playing casino games.

The Drugs Inc. High Stakes Vegas documentary investigates the connection between the drug use and the gambling industry. This documentary depicts the dark side of Las Vegas, the one infested with drugs and how it affects the people in Las Vegas.

The sale of cocaine and crack has been flourishing in Las Vegas in the last decade as all sorts of people are interested in buying and consuming those drugs. This documentary investigates the drug production and sale in Las Vegas and how drug dealers use gamblers and their need for excitement or fix.

14.American Justice: Vegas and the Mob

• Year: 1996
• Author:..
• Country: the United States
• Cast:Tony Accardo, Joe Agosto, Sam Giancana, Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Kurtis, Don Rickles
• Theme:Investigation of connections between Las Vegas gambling industry and the mob families

It is widely known fact that Las Vegas was established by mob families who had a huge influence on the development of gambling industry. In 1931, mob families from Las Vegas managed to influence the state legislature that made gambling legal in Nevada. Since then, Las Vegas gambling industry has been controlled by different mob families.

American Justice: Vegas and the Mob is the documentary that investigates the relationship between mob families and the gambling industry and how those mob families managed to take over the control. The movie depicts many murders committed by mob families of people who tried to intervene in the business as it became known that mob has been eliminating their enemies even before their business with gambling industries.

15.Las Vegas – The Mirage Out West

• Year: 2016
• Author:Pierre Brouwers
• Country: the United States
• Cast:Pierre Brouwers
• Theme: A look behind the scene at one of the biggest entertainment centers in the world, Las Vegas

Las Vegas – The Mirage Out West is a different look at the biggest gambling center in the world. This documentary explores the inspiration behind some of the biggest casinos in the world. This documentary explores the architectural inspiration behind the construction of some of the most economic casino buildings in the world.

This documentary also explores the reasoning for such designs that feature entire cities and other elements. This documentary paints a different picture of Las Vegas that is rarely seen in the reports. It also presents the other side of the coin where the poorest people from the city life and it is a completely different from other people used to see when Las Vegas is the issue.

Focusing more on the role of the city in the lives of different kind of people, this documentary provides great insight into the essence of this city and how gambling industry has affected that essence.

16.Modern Marvels: Las Vegas

• Year: 1994
• Author:Andrew Thomas
• Country: the United States
• Cast: Wayne Newton, Jack Perkins, Debbie Reynolds
• Theme: The historical development of Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas has one of the most interesting stories about the development of thecity and this subject is the theme of the documentary called Modern Marvels: Las Vegas. Considering that gambling industry is ahuge part of the Las Vegas history, it is no wonder that this topic is abig part of this documentary.

Starting from the very beginnings of the city, this documentary explores historical recordings and documents about the development of this city. Putting the development of Las Vegas in the historical context such as the attack on Pearl Harbor, this documentary gives a clear image of what was going on in the country and in the developing city during that time.

Starting from a small city in the Mojave desert, Las Vegas became one of the biggest entertainment centers in the entire world in a very short period of time.

17.Uncommon Knowledge: Building Las Vegas

• Year: 2017
• Author:Peter Robinson
• Country: the United States
• Cast: Steve Wynn
• Theme: The look on Las Vegas history through the perspective of one of its creators, Steve Wynn

Steve Wynn is one of the most important people in Las Vegas industry as he is known as the creator of modern day Las Vegas. In his career, Steve Wynn developed huge casinos in the city which painted the general picture of the city as a gambling industryMecca.

In an interview with Peter Robinson, Steve Wynn discusses his career and circumstances that led him to become the biggest casino developers in the world. This documentary is a different look at the history of Las Vegas as well as the history of thegambling industry in the United States.

Steve Wynn also discusses his business in Atlantic City and his decision to sell his Atlantic City business and focus on his Las Vegas businesses. This documentary uses the insights of one of the crucial people in gambling industry to entangle complicated history of thegambling industry and Las Vegas development.

18.Piers Morgan on Las Vegas

• Year: 2010
• Author:Piers Morgan
• Country: the United States
• Cast: Steve Cyr, Terry Fator, Piers Morgan
• Theme:The effects of global economic crisis on Las Vegas and other problems that this city is facing

In this documentary, Piers Morgan goes deep in Las Vegas and explores the city and the gambling industry. Besides that, he also investigates the relationship between Las Vegas and the celebrity culture in the United States. However, the biggest part of this documentary is focusing on financial problems that this city has faced during the financial crisis that started in 2008.

This documentary also focuses on other problems that this city is facing. One of those problems is the potential lack of water as the water resources are decreasing very quickly. No city can survive without water resources and because of that, the reducing level of available water will be affecting Las Vegas very soon.

Without water, there is no gambling industry. Without gambling industry, there are no casinos in Las Vegas and without casinos, Las Vegas will be on the verge of dying out. Because of that, this documentary is very important as it warns everybody against the future that might be hitting Las Vegas very soon.