Ever since Kakegurui released on Netflix, many fans of the anime have been left waiting for Season 3. At casinosverified.com, this anime has hit all the right chords within our team which inspired us to create this list of the top 10 gambling anime. So if you (like us) are looking for anime like Kakegurui, be sure to check out this list of the top gambling inspired anime and if you are looking for trailers you can find a lot of them in this top gambling anime blog post.
In anime, we can find a wide range of themes dealing with the issues in society, philosophical conundrums, morality, the world of crime and the mysterious Japanese Yakuza. With such a wide range of themes covered, it’s no wonder why we can stumble upon gambling inspired anime dealing with what it means to be a gambler, the drama, the excitement, and the intrigue that surrounds the lives of gamblers.
The following article will tell you more about the best gambling inspired anime, their storylines, morals, and more.
The Top 10 Best Gambling Inspired Anime
- Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor
- Kakegurui (Compulsive Gambler)
- Legendary Gambler Tetsuya
- One Outs
- No Game No Life
- Akagi: Yami ni Oritatta Tensai
- Alice In Borderland
- Rio: Rainbow Gate
- Death Parade
- C: The Money Of Soul And Possibility Control
10. C: The Money Of Soul And Possibility Control
C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control is an anime-inspired by gambling where gamblers stake more than just their money and assets — their lives. It is a famous 2011 anime series directed by Kenji Nakamura, known for his work in Tsuritama and Gatchaman Crowds anime.
The series follows the life of Kimimaro Yoga, a scholarship student of Economics, who is struggling to scrape enough to eat thanks to the destroyed Japanese economy resulting in people fleeing the country in search of a better life. Those who remain are experiencing unimaginable difficulties in providing their families with even the daily necessities.
However, as those things go, not all people get to suffer the same. One day, a mysterious character Masakaki paid a visit to Kimimaro and invited him to the Eastern Financial District, a place where luxury and money are in abundance and where people gamble for more than just money. Kimimaro accepts the offer, becomes “Entre,” and embarks on never-ending bouts of gambling, staking his most valuable possession — his future.
It is an anime that mixes the occult, the mysterious, and the very likely situation, since we have seen economies collapse on more than one occasion. The Money of Soul and Possibility Control tells about the willingness of people to gamble more than they can afford and partake in a dangerous game in search of a better life and prosperity that is not to be found there.
9. Death Parade
Death Parade is a 2015 Japanese gambling anime series directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa that was meant to serve as a training series for animators. Instead, it grew into a franchise hit. Death Parade is an anime that connects the themes of gambling and death. The foreboding feeling you have now is justified since, in Death Parade, the recently deceased find themselves in a gambling bar, as there is no heaven in the afterlife, just a world of gambling. This bar is the only thing that stands in the way of eternal void and chance of reincarnation. The bartender Decim will offer those in attendance to play a random game with him, whether it is bowling, darts, or any other. The games are played with ultimate stakes — life or death.
8. Rio: Rainbow Gate
Rio: Rainbow Gate is a perfect anime for all those who like the world of casino gambling and luxurious gambling resorts, as well as a good dose of humor. The storyline follows the life of Rio Rollins, a casino dealer working at the Howard Casino Resort situated on an island. Rio is known for her ability to bring good luck to gamblers, which is why she has a nickname “The Goddess of Victory.” After one fateful encounter, Rio found out that she is one of the thirteen “Gate Holders” — dealers who hold magical and legendary cards called “Gates.” The dealers play against each other in special games called “Gate Battles,” and whoever gets hold of all cards will bear the title of the “Most Valuable Casino Dealer,” thus gaining a special status in the world of gambling.
7. Alice In Borderland
Alice In Borderland is an interesting pun and wordplay that perfectly depicts the essence of this anime about gambling. A group of teenagers led by a high-school student Ryouhei Arisu find themselves in a strange world where they have to play some high-stakes games in order to get out and survive. Depending on how lucky and capable you are, you can either live or die. It all comes down to the draw of some fortune slips that decide your faith. The dealings in this strange world might seem odd at first, but they overlap the ones we see in the world today and how people are treated on an everyday basis. This psychological thriller anime was directed by Hideki Tachibana and takes you to your own Alice in Wonderland-type of journey where the ultimate gamble is human life.
6. Akagi: Yami ni Oritatta Tensai
Akagi is gambling inspired anime that tells a story of Nangou, a gambling addict that has accumulated a lot of debt playing mahjong with the Japanese Yakuza. The world of mafia, debts, crime, and gambling is a dismal place where Nangou is left with no other choice than to wager his own life in an ultimate game against the mafia. At this point, a young boy Akagi comes into play and helps Nangou with his unique set of mahjong and gambling skills. This anime will tell you more about how to play and gamble on mahjong and what the consequences of bad bets are.
5. No Game No Life
No Game No Life anime follows the life of Shiro and Sora, brother and sister who have developed a reputation of being undefeatable gamblers. They rule the world of online gambling where they beat everyone. However, that does not make them entirely happy, and one day, a strange offer comes their way. They are offered to enter the mystical gaming realm where everything in the world is decided through gambling, from the economy to people’s lives.
The siblings will face the god of games, Tet, who is the ruler of that world, and try to usurp his place as the lords of gambling. The anime No Game No Life flirts with the notion of gambling as something harmless and even child’s play. People would go into gambling as something fun and even unreal, but the consequences that come from not taking it seriously and letting it slip from grasp can be terrible.
4. One Outs
One Outs is an anime show that combines the worlds of sports and gambling that are now rarely seen separated. The story follows the life of Toua Tokuchi — a talented baseball player but also an avid gambler. He plays a game called One Outs where a pitcher and batter will have one-on-one with a lot of money on the line. His competitive spirit from baseball spills over to the game of One Outs, which in turn will influence his entire baseball team and their season. One Outs leads us through the world where risky betting and high-stakes wagers reign supreme. This anime is perfect for all those who like the game of baseball and all that goes on in the world of sports betting.
3. Legendary Gambler Tetsuya
The Legendary Gambler Tetsuya is an anime show based on a gambling manga series by Fūmei Sai. In this anime, you will be transported back into the post-WWII Japan where poverty, destruction, and economic crises are prevalent and invade all aspects of life. When such things happen, the rise of gambling is almost inevitable.
A young and already famed mahjong player Tetsuya plays mahjong in all-known mahjong parlors and is able to win regularly. Given how good Tetsuya is, he is even considered to be a cheater by other players. However, his status as a legendary gambler is challenged with the appearance of Boushu-san, an equally good player who will raise the stakes in the game and even make it personal. Boushu-san will make Tetsuya work more on improving his skills in order to face him in a duel that will determine the best player of all time. This anime has everything a true fan of gambling, history, and psychological thriller would like to see. Never-ending thrill and suspense are mixed with the classic style of anime hugely popular back in the beginnings of the 2000s and still popular today.
2. Kakegurui (Compulsive Gambler)
Kakegurui — Compulsive Gambler is one of the most recent gambling-related anime frequently hailed as one of the best ever made. The story takes place in a special school called the Hyakkaou Private Academy, where the children of the rich and powerful get their education. During the day, the school is just like any other school preparing students from the real world and teaching them about arts, crafts, science, languages, and other essential things. However, as the night comes near, the school transforms into a brutal world of casino gambling where students bet ridiculous amounts of money, and even their possessions.
The winners of the games are treated like royalty in school, while the losers are constantly picked on, so winning brings more than just the money — it secures the students their social status. The atmosphere is riled up when an exchange student Yumeko Jabami shows up. She is a gambling addict and quite skilled at that. Apart from being extremely skilled, she also has some sadistic traits and enjoys punishing the losers and playing for the thrill of the gamble, all the while manipulating the system and exposing its flaws.
The show deals with some serious social injustices and occurrences. The rich and famous are privileged to a great extent and can gain skills that will allow them to manipulate others in order to exert control. The combination of the cruel world of rich teenagers and gambling seems to offer a reflection of how some parts of the real world actually work and gives viewers something to think about while watching this gambling anime, apart from enjoying the gambling escapades of the protagonists.
1. Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor
Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor is considered to be the best anime series about gambling ever created. It is based on the gambling manga series Kaiji Itou by Nobuyuki Fukumoto that was turned into a gambling anime in 2007. This gambling anime follows the life of an unlucky young man Kaiji Itou who is unemployed and facing huge gambling-related debts. However, one day, his luck seems to be changing for the better. He is offered a chance to board a cruise ship Espoir and partake in a number of games of chance. He will have to gamble his way out of debt and the misery of his life, but the journey is anything but a smooth one.
What made Kaiji a Kaiji Ultimate Survivor is the fact that he had to use mind games, manipulate, and make some dangerous deals in order to stay “afloat” both in the games and literally. This highly tense adventure will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride where you will live through every moment of Kaiji’s ordeal and undoubtedly develop empathy for this underdog that represents many real-life people.
Final Thoughts
At first sight, one might not think anime and gambling have a lot in common. However, in this article, you got a chance to see that anime about gambling are very popular and sought after, as gambling is an inseparable aspect of people’s lives nowadays. Gambling takes place in both the online world and the real one. Since anime are known for presenting different topics with strong messages and morals, it should surprise no one that all gambling anime shown here have a message to convey. That message basically says gambling is great fun but should not be taken lightly. There will be obstacles, challenges, and temptations, but the important thing is to overcome them and to always be wary of one’s actions so that you never lose control and composure. Only in that way can you enjoy gambling to the fullest.
If you enjoy gambling themed movies and tv shows, be sure to check our list of the top gambling inspired movies as well.
Tags: Anime
