Top 5 Gambling Horror Movies
The thrill of gambling and the chill of horror rarely meet in movies, but when they do, some magical moments are created. Check out the collection of horror gambling movies we have compiled and reviewed. Be sure to buy some popcorn and watch some of these classics, but have a cushion handy to cover your eyes when they get too creepy.
Leprechaun 3
Of all the movies in this slasher franchise, Leprechaun 3 is set in Las Vegas and connects horror to gambling.
The psychotic Leprechaun, adeptly played by Warwick Davis, appears mystically in Sin City and embarks on a killing spree. Lubdan is searching for his wish-granting gold coin, and where else would you find them but in glitzy casinos? In a memorable scene, Lubdan the Leprechaun is playing craps on the same table as Scott McCoy, and his new girlfriend Tammy Larsen. In the end, Tammy saves the day by blasting the gold coin with a flame-thrower, causing it to vanish and Lubdan to burst into flames.
The film was released as direct-to-video in June 1995, and became the highest grosser in this segment that year. Davis, who played the Leprechaun in all the franchise films, later said this one was his favourite of the series. “I think it tapped into the potential of bringing a comedic element to it all.”
The Haunted Casino
Get ready for the real creepy type of horror and casino gaming action in this 2007 released movie. Fans of the horror genre will recognise actors Sid Haig and Michael Berryman playing the lead ghost roles.
Matthew Dragna inherits a rundown old casino from his deceased uncle and goes to check out the place with his girlfriend, JJ, and other mates. The casino turns out to be haunted by ghosts of vicious Las Vegas mobsters, Roy "The Word" Donahue and Gil Wachetta. Roy, Gil and some others were killed in this haunted casino by the owner, and the ghosts are thirsting for revenge.
In the exit route offered to them, Will and his friends have to play against the casino and win. The highlight of the gambling is a poker game in which the inheritors are dealt pairs of black eights and aces, known as the dead man’s hand. Wild Bill Hickok was shot dead while holding this hand, but will Matthew and his friends survive? A bit of trivia is that the horror flick was originally released as Dead Man’s Hand.
13 Tzameti
13 Tzameti is a French film released in 2005 that features a form of gambling far removed from the casinos of Vegas. There is plenty of gore to be seen, but this is not the classic horror. It is the suspense that will have viewers biting their nails. The movie was remade in English in 2010, and released under the title, 13.
Sebastien, an impoverished immigrant, unwittingly takes the place of his deceased employer in a game of Russian roulette organised by a powerful criminal. The action starts with 13 contestants and one bullet in each revolver, with the spectators placing bets. After each round, some of the contestants lie dead on the floor and the number of bullets increase. Sebastien emerges as the last man standing but that is not the end of the story. To say more would be a spoiler.
The film won plenty of critical acclaim with the World Cinema Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and two awards at the 62nd Venice Film Festival.
Spirits of the Dead
Spirits of the Dead is a movie anthology based on three spooky tales from Edgar Allan Poe, the acknowledged master of horror. The second segment, titled William Wilson, was set in the 1800s. This movie has the classic gambling scene between Wilson played by Alain Delon and Giuseppina played by Brigitte Bardot.
Wilson is a sadistic army officer with a history of cruelty that will make the hardest of hearts cringe. He is cursed with the existence of a doppelganger bearing the same name, who is as morally upright as he is depraved. The centrepiece of the horror story is a long and tense gambling scene between the officer and the courtesan for the right of the winner to whip the loser. Wilson wins, but his lookalike lands up to reveal that the officer cheated in the card game. The narrative then proceeds to the typical Poesque ending.
Steve Niles’ Remains
Zombies are the ultimate in horror films. Steve Niles’ Remains is a 2011 chiller, based on an apocalypse in which the only survivors are the employees of a casino in Reno. The gambling is disconnected from the horror and is the calm before the storm.
The casino employees, led by the lovers Tom and Tori, trap an initial set of zombies in a room and then spend a few days smoking, drinking and playing cards while waiting to be rescued. The gambling reverie ends when a set of stronger zombies arrive and hell breaks loose. You will witness one of the goriest carnages ever in horror films. After all the unpleasantness on the screen, it would be futile to expect a happy ending.
Horror Movies In Online Slots
The movies reviewed above are the most popular gambling themed horror movies, but definitely not the finest horror movies that this gory genre offers. Game developers have taken the best gory horror movies and created slot games around them.
If you want another way to combine horror and gambling, you should check these out and play at our carefully scrutinized top online casinos where you can play free or real money slots.
Psycho
From the stable of Alfred Hitchcock, was the movie that started it all. NextGen Gaming’ Psycho slot takes you through the story, including the famous shower scene.
Halloween
Released in 1979 and spawned many sequels. The Microgaming slot creates suspense through features like Wandering Reels and Jumbo Blocks.
A Nightmare on Elm Street slot game features the serial killer Freddy and his victims and plenty of gore in the graphics. Random Logic has successfully recreated the horror moments.