The excitement and fun of the casino is the main reason we want to go – the chance to get all dressed up and spend some time with friends. It isn’t just for us ‘normal’ people though – there are plenty of celebrities that like to play, and some have even had real success on the competitive circuit.
If you like playing slots, blackjack, and poker at a casino like online casino Canada, the chances are that you know just how much fun you can have, and you might be just a little bit like your favorite movie stars and sports personalities.
Let’s have a look at some of the most well-known celebrity gamblers.
Also Read: John Miller (Jennifer Garner’s Boyfriend) Wiki, Bio, Age, Height, Instagram, Split, Net Worth
Ben Affleck
If you do an online search for celebrities who gamble, Ben Affleck tops the results – and for good reason.
Affleck might be a beloved actor whose marriage to Jennifer Lopez made the gossip pages frequently, but what some people don’t know is that he is a big fan of casino card games.
Starting with poker, his passion and talent took him to the California State Poker Championship, which he won in 2004, and he was known to be a player at the famous Molly Bloom’s poker games at the Viper Room.
Blackjack is another game that Affleck plays – and plays well. He won $140,000 playing at the Hard Rock Casino with Matt Damon in 2000 and gave away all his chips as tips for the staff. However, his talent for the game came from his ability to count cards; this might not be illegal, but it is frowned upon, and he was banned from playing at the Hard Rock Casino in 2014 when he admitted to using this technique.
Matt Damon
There are many people who think that the movie Rounders is the best poker-based movie ever released. Matt Damon starred in it, and it was this role that really boosted his interest in playing poker, which led him to take a place at the table in the 1998 World Series of Poker.
Damon played well but lost $25,000 to Doyle Bronson despite having a pair of kings in his hand – he went all in after following Bronson’s advice to always bet high with kings (Bronson was holding a pair of aces).
While not much of Damon’s playing happens in public – he is much more likely to play in private games to stay out of the limelight, he has also been linked to games with Affleck and other celebrities.
His last big impact on the poker world was when he made it to the final table in the 2010 World Series of Poker.
Also Read: Lauren Phillips Radio Host Age, Height, Wikipedia, Partner
Jennifer Tilly
Jennifer Tilly had a moderately successful movie career in the ‘90s, featuring in films like Chucky and Liar Liar – but most of us will recognize her as the smoky-voiced actor behind Bonnie Swanson in Family Guy.
Her father was a gambler who enjoyed playing poker, but it wasn’t until she came to Hollywood that Tilly really learned to play – and she really started to take it seriously.
Tilly mentioned in an interview in 2005 that she was planning on focusing on her poker career more than her acting, and this seemed to come to fruition when she won a World Series of Poker bracelet in the Ladies No Limit Texas Hold’Em event and won the World Poker Tour Ladies invitational Tournament the same year.
Although she stepped back from poker in 2008, by 2010 she was back at the table, and so far, her lifetime winnings at live tournaments have exceeded $1 million.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is probably the most famous basketball player in the world, but it is his gambling that many have focused on because of allegations of poor conduct.
There was evidence that Jordan was betting in high school, proven by a personal check written to a fellow student for $5 after losing a pool game. By the time he reached the NBA, his betting behavior developed into higher stakes card games on road trips.
Whilst in Monaco preparing for the 1992 Olympics, Jordan set up a rolling late night card game with other major basketball stars.
It wasn’t until he was seen gambling in Atlantic City during the 1993 NBA finals that some questions were asked about his behavior – at the time, gambling was under scrutiny from the public and seen as widely immoral, so there was some controversy. This was made worse when an investigation revealed that he owed $1.3 million in gambling debts.
Jordan’s relationship with gambling is inextricably linked to his passion for winning and his competitive spirit – and while he might not be gambling much now, he is an investor in well-known sports betting company Draft Kings.
Honorable Mentions
Other celebs that you might see in the casino include Slash from Guns n Roses, who loves the adrenaline rush of blackjack. George Clooney plays roulette, and Spiderman Tobey Maguire plays poker.
Also Read: The Secret Gambling Obsessions of the Rich and Famous
