With hundreds of casino-themed books, it can be challenging to know where to begin. There are great books on all the casino games, whether you’re a slot gamer, a poker fan or just after some of the details of the nitty and gritty of the casino business or the myths and legends of Vegas exploits.
Below, we discuss five of the top casino books currently available. Industry professionals have pivoted their focus towards online platforms over the last decade. Notably, they have started using their decades of experience in the sector to rate casinos based on some of the crucial factors that contribute to a successful platform. By drilling into specifics of what each casino can offer, their expert reviewers are able to approach each review holistically and fairly.
For instance, the Yukon Gold Casino review at GambleOntario ensures that their market-leading experts assess the quality of their customer service, gaming library, site security, and licensing, as well as a number of other key variables, to ensure that they’re providing an objective report on the pros and cons of what Yukon Gold has to offer, and where it can improve.
The same industry professionals have racked their brains to pick out five outstanding books for casino-reading fans. All the books we’re going to touch on today will expand your knowledge of the lesser-known areas of the multibillion-dollar casino gaming industry and might give you some reading ideas if you want to dive further into this genre in the future.
1. Casino: Love & Honor in Las Vegas – Nicholas Pileggi
Perhaps the most famous casino book out there, Nicholas Pileggi’s 1995 nonfiction story about the rise of the mob in 1970s Las Vegas skyrocketed in sales when Martin Scorsese announced he would be making a film loosely based on the story. With thousands of ratings across revered reading websites and available for download on various Amazon Kindle devices, Pileggi’s book is one of the most notable in this genre.
While Casino: Love & Honor in Las Vegas might not be for industry purists, it provides some insight into Sin City’s murky beginnings and the sort of underbelly that initially propped up the growing town before major reform filtered out the criminal element in the 1990s and beyond.
Pileggi’s best-seller will open your eyes to how the industry worked long before the days of the internet and how a small, profitable casino town out in the desert turned into a mecca for global casino gaming.
2. The Theory of Blackjack – Peter Griffin
If you’re looking for a book that dives deep into the math and stats of casino gaming, The Theory of Blackjack is one of the top-rated titles you can find anywhere on the internet.
Released in 1988, this book delves deep into the probability and mathematics of the classic casino card game and is highly rated by those who are partial to a bit of blackjack with an eye for stats. Although it’s been out for over 35 years, if you enjoy e-books and just snapped up a new e-reader for summer 2024, plenty of merchants stock the digital version too.
Peter was a California State University teacher specializing in mathematics and statistics. While most gambling books revolve around perceived strategies or crazy tales of Vegas, this one is for the purists. Another reason this book is often highly rated is Peter’s noted sense of humor and many quick lines that will make you smile.
3. The Theory of Poker – David Sklansky
Considered by many to be the manual of all poker literature, Sklansky’s book is considered essential reading by a litany of casino experts. As you have probably gathered from the title, the book drills into the specifics of poker strategy from a man who has done everything. David has several books covering poker games and strategy, but The Theory of Poker is his most revered and highest-rated.
Although first released in 1978, before online poker and other variants had risen to prominence and tournaments didn’t boast eight-figure prize pools, the book has aged exceptionally well, with many tips and tricks that are still relevant to the modern game.
The strategy and insight it contains still make it a timeless piece of casino writing. It should be an addition to your collection if you’re looking to bolster your knowledge on all things casino gaming and expand your poker gaming strategy and awareness.
4. Bringing Down the House – Ben Mezrich
As with Nicholas Pileggi’s book — the first one we touched on in today’s list — Bringing Down the House is one of the more notable novels that has been adapted. It’s actually been turned into two different films, but the one that is the most recognized is the film 21, which came out in 2008 and starred Laurence Fishburne, famed for his roles in Apocalypse Now and The Matrix.
Critically, the film created a more polarizing response, with many citing the book as being far superior, showcasing how the team used sophisticated card-counting techniques to gain an edge against casinos worldwide. However, 21 went on to become a box-office hit.
5. The Eudaemonic Pie – Thomas A. Bass
For roulette gamers, The Eudaemonic Pie details how one group of physics students looked to use primitive versions of minicomputers to attempt to predict the outcome of roulette games in Vegas. The house will take your money all day in Vegas.
However, it’s a different story when computer wizards and university-educated physicists rock up with a detailed plan and a supercomputer in their pocket.
While the story has some similarity to Ben Mezrich’s book, roulette is a game where strategies like card counting don’t come into play. It involves different dealers and games, and while roulette might have evolved to combat some of the techniques used in the book, the story provides fascinating insight into how a casino floor used to run and how even roulette games were susceptible given the right circumstances.
Conclusion
We’ve covered a few angles today, from roulette to blackjack to some of the tales that dive into the murky foundations of Vegas. Industry professionals could talk your ear off all day about their favorite casino books and film adaptations. If you want to expand your knowledge about this ever-growing industry, then the five books we touched on today are an excellent place to begin.
Markus lives in San Francisco, California and is the video game and audio expert on Good e-Reader! He has a huge interest in new e-readers and tablets, and gaming.
