Last Chance: Sharon Stone’s Gritty R-Rated Crime Thriller Is Leaving Netflix

Another classic is about to vanish from Netflix, so if 'Casino' is on your must-watch (or rewatch) list, now's your warning: this 1995 Martin Scorsese gangster saga starring Sharon Stone and Robert De Niro will be gone after May 31. Honestly, every few months, streaming platforms toss something iconic out the door, but this one's genuinely a big deal for crime movie fans.

The Vegas Mob Movie with an Unusual Origin Story

'Casino' isn’t just another flashy mob film—it's Scorsese chronicling the glitz, greed, and doom of Las Vegas when it was basically run by the mafia. The story digs into the wild real-life history behind the city's casino industry, with characters directly inspired by infamous figures.

In a strange twist, the movie actually beat its own source material to the punch. Nicholas Pileggi, the journalist behind the story, finished his book 'Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas,' but held back on publishing until just a few weeks before the film dropped. Meanwhile, he'd already teamed up with Scorsese to bang out the screenplay—making this their second mob movie collaboration after 'Goodfellas.'

Vegas, Mobsters, and a Whole Lot of Trouble

The plot centers on Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (De Niro), a pro gambler who gets tapped by the Chicago Outfit to run their Las Vegas casino. Imagine a guy who knows numbers, keeps his head down, and is suddenly put in charge of millions—and then everything starts to unravel. His childhood friend Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci, going full psycho as always) shows up to "protect" things, but ends up making everything worse with his own violent side hustle. Meanwhile, Ace gets tangled up with Ginger (Sharon Stone), a brilliant con artist with her own self-destructive streak.

So, basically:

• De Niro plays Ace, the methodical casino boss
• Sharon Stone steals the show as Ginger, racking up both heartbreak and an Oscar nomination
• Joe Pesci brings chaos as Nicky, Ace's friend-turned-menace
• James Woods pops in as Lester, Ginger's sleazy ex
• Don Rickles (yes, the insult comic legend) shows up as Billy, Ace's right-hand man
• Alan King does a sly turn as Andy, another Vegas player

Box Office and Critical Chops

Released by Universal Pictures back on November 22, 1995, the film cost a hefty $40-50 million to make, and racked up about $116 million worldwide. That's not 'Jurassic Park' money, but it's nothing to sneeze at either.

On the critical front, 'Casino' earned a rock-solid 79% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with more than 250,000 regular viewers averaging 93%. In awards land, Sharon Stone picked up an Oscar nomination for her unhinged, tragic performance as Ginger.

Get Your Watch In Before June 1

So, bottom line: if you haven’t seen Scorsese’s glitzy, brutal take on the end of mobbed-up Vegas—or if it’s been a while since you last heard Joe Pesci say anything menacing—you’ve got until the end of May. After that, 'Casino' folds and walks off the Netflix floor.

'There's nobody like Scorsese for making crime look slick, ugly, and entertaining as hell—so don’t let this one slip by.'