Movies

Best Films Depicting Australia’s Obsession with Gambling

Saying that Australia has a steaming insatiable love affair with gambling is an understatement. The country is renowned as one of the biggest gamblers with a passion for pokies, scratchies, lotteries, sports betting, and other casino games. Australian Gambling Statistics show that more than AUD242 billion is spent on gambling annually, translating to about $12,000 per person for every citizen over eighteen (the legal gambling age).

The country also loses a lot and is ranked as the biggest gambling nation considering loss per person. The figure tallies at about $25 billion, which is $1,260 per person. Therefore, it is no surprise that some home-grown Aussie films focus on the subject.

While Australia is a big gambling nation, the same cannot be said for its prominence in the field. Most foreigners associate the land down under with kangaroos, the Outback, deadly animals, and boomerangs. 

Only a few, if any, think of gambling. The country is relatively quiet about the prevalence of gambling in the region to the international community. Nonetheless, the subject is broached in a few domestic films. Here are three that depict the country’s love for the activity with a little inherent drama to spice things up.

Broke

The most recent Australian gambling film was Broke, released in 2016. This hard-hitting work of art centers around the country’s National Rugby League, a disgraced player, gambling addiction, and match-fixing. While the NRL has come under fire many times for match-fixing allegations and problem gambling among its players, this is not a biopic. Nonetheless, it weaves a heart-rending but riveting tale around it.

The Australian director Heath Davis said that the home-produced and filmed flick was his passion project. He drew inspiration from former National Rugby League players that he knew from his native Sydney. 

Several of the players had lost everything due to alleged gambling addiction and match-fixing. Filming took place in Gladstone, Queensland, and goes to town showing the gritty world of the NRL outside the field.

Broke’s brilliant portrayal of gambling addiction, a severe issue in Australia, was highly lauded. The film was nominated for several industry awards and won 2016’s Best Screenplay in the SENE Film, Music, and Art Festival. In 2017, it also won the Best Narrative Feature in the Fargo Film Festival. 

Gambling addiction groups, organizations, and counselors also had high praise for the movie for spreading the message that gambling addiction is treatable and not worth the stigma.

Oscar and Lucinda

Oscar and Lucinda hit the big screen in 1997 to much fanfare for its touching storyline delivered by a talented Australian and British crew. Gilliam Armstrong took the director’s seat for this gem while the script came from fellow Australian Laura Jones. These award-winning film and documentary makers take viewers back to the 1800s to follow the story of Oscar Hopkins. 

The young spirited Anglican priest meets the wealthy teenage heiress Lucinda Leplastrier at a card game on a vessel from England to Australia. The glass factory owner bets Oscar her entire fortune if he can transport a glass church to the Outback safely. The romantic and dramatic series of events that follow change their lives forever.

The film’s star-studded cast and captivating storyline made it a massive hit Down Under. Academy Award-winner Cate Blanchett plays Lucinda, and Academy Award-nominee Ralph Fiennes plays Oscar. 

Other cast members that make the masterpiece include Tom Wilkinson as Hugh, Ciaran Hinds as Reverend Dennis, and Geoffrey Rush as the narrator. The movie may not have been a box office heat, but the stunning performance of the two leads makes it worth watching more than two decades after its release.

Wake in Fright/Outback

Based on the novel by Kenneth Cook, this Ted Kotcheff movie tells the tale of a young school teacher and his trip to a small outback Bundanyabba community. The local population spends their days mostly gambling and drinking with nothing much else. In the beginning, John (the school teacher) disapproves of the people’s lifestyle, but he gradually falls into the habits himself. 

The slow-paced film has a moody vibe, providing a realistic feeling of the heat and geographical isolation of Australian summers. The cast members deliver great performances made even better by stunning photography and music.

Dirty Deeds

In 2002, Australian filmmaker David Caesar treated film audiences to Dirty Deeds. The fun and entertaining tale revolves around Barry Ryan, a fast-talking gangster running the pokie industry in late 1960s Sydney. Ryan’s business benefits significantly from US soldiers’ influx due to the Vietnam War, and they are drawn to his gambling venues. 

News of Barry’s successful business reaches the United States. The Mafia is eager to dig their hands into the gambling empire, and they dispatch two hitmen to persuade Ryan into splitting his wealth, and chaos ensues.

Dirty Deeds has a solid cast and crew from Australia and America, including Toni Collette, Sam Worthington, John Goodman, Felix Williamson, and Bryan Brown. The film may be a crime comedy, but it captures the high-demand slots faced in the sixties, and it has only grown since then. On the upside, punters have a lot more ways to access pokies and other gambling games thanks to online casinos.

Winner

This Alex Cox-directed film was released in 1996. Winner sees Philip, played by Vincent D’Onofrio, fighting severe depression. He decides to visit a casino and enjoys an unbelievable winning streak in roulette. The finely tuned and taut script then focuses on how friends alter their behavior after gaining riches beyond reasonable imagination. Cox may have mashed the script as director, but its all-star cast and compelling direction can be a wonder in the right hands.

Lucky You

2007’s Lucky You is a must-watch for poker lovers. The movie introduces professional poker player Huck (Eric Bana) and his father, L.C. Cheever (Robert Duvall), to the audience. Huck decides to compete in the World Championship, but his father and debts threaten to keep him from winning. 

Rather than focusing on the game, this masterpiece is all about the mentality of people who make a career out of gambling. Drew Barrymore joins the cast for a romance subplot. Many professional gamblers have applauded the film for the realism of the gambling scenes.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.  Learn more