With Hollywood being so close to the largest gambling capital in the world, Las Vegas, it comes as no surprise that some famous Hollywood celebs choose to spend their free time in casinos. The famous poker princess Molly Bloom published a book in 2014 detailing her gambling experiences. In this book, she mentions multiple Hollywood celebrities and their love for gambling. Most famous people are avid blackjack or poker players, but there are always slot machine lovers to be found as well. Some could say that casino games are as varied as Hollywood personalities. The stars of Hollywood, like average people, enjoy the thrill of casino games and gambling. But some play these games to relax themselves from the hectic life of being a famous celebrity. We have dug deep and come up with a comprehensible list of some of the most famous Hollywood stars who are also avid gamblers. Stick with us and we will reveal who these celebrities are.
Ben Affleck
First and foremost, we must start this list off with Ben Affleck. There is no doubt about whether this big-time actor and director is a passionate gambler. Ben Affleck is one of those Hollywood celebrities that have been spotted at Las Vegas casinos time and time again. Although this might be true, it is also true that you will not have any luck with seeing him in casinos such as the Hard Rock Casino. Ben Affleck had been banned from this, and a number of other casinos in Las Vegas. This ban came to be because the famous actor and director has been caught counting cards in the Hard Rock Casino. When he was caught, the casino officials decided to ban him for life, despite his still-growing fame.
Ben Affleck is also known for his massive bets. He has had both successes and failures in the past years. His biggest known loss happened in 2001, when he lost $400 000 in a game of poker. Despite this failure, he did not stop playing. His efforts paid off in 2004, when he won $356 000 in a poker tournament. Among his opponents in the said tournament were Tobey Maguire and a number of professional poker players.
Tobey Maguire
Tobey Maguire, best known for his amazing role as our friendly neighborhood Spiderman, is also an ardent poker player. He has played poker even as a teenager, but his adventures with professional poker started in 2004, with one of the world’s best poker player, Daniel Negreanu, as his tutor. As you well remember, that year he lost a poker tournament to Ben Affleck, but that did not stop or discourage our brave Spiderman. Tobey participated in multiple World Series of Poker Main Event Championships. He even won a Hollywood Park Casino tournament in 2011, taking over $300 000 in prize money. In addition to participating in and winning tournaments, Tobey is also known to take part in many private celebrity games. Being a fan of whale gambling, he and other celebrities have been known to participate in Molly Bloom’s high-stakes poker games at the famous Viper Room. These events were later used as inspiration for the poker princess’ book and movie Molly’s Room.
Matt Damon
Going back to a more scandalous gambling reputation, we need to take a look at Matt Damon. Matt’s game of choice is poker, or Texas Hold’em, to be exact. His gambling addiction draws roots from 1988. He even took professional lessons and visited various underground casinos in New York. Being best friends with Ben Affleck, the two could often be seen visiting Las Vegas casinos together. However, Matt is believed to be a more passionate player than his friend, and considerably luckier because he often has the winning hand at poker tables. Although most Hollywood celebrities are fans of whale gambling, placing bets that are too high, Matt Damon has a different way of playing. He usually places quite reasonable bets, which is probably why he has more control of his gameplay. Matt Damon, although an avid fan of poker, has never participated in celebrity poker shows.
George Clooney
With a close-knit web of gambling friends, it comes as no surprise that George Clooney is also a poker enthusiast. A famous actor and good friend to Matt Damon, Clooney showed his love of gambling in the most luxurious way possible. He is such an avid fan of gambling that he invested over $7 million in the construction of a casino. This casino, of course, has a hotel and condominium, so patrons can have a luxurious place to stay while they gamble. Some anonymous sources suggest that George Clooney’s gambling addiction had been the main cause of the actor’s break up with Elisabetta Canalis back in 2011, although it has never been openly confirmed. Despite this, Clooney had never let go of his love of gambling, and nowadays he continues to take part in various gambling tournaments, as well as occasionally participating in poker events for charity.
Eva Longoria
We saved the best for last, as we will now take a look at what Eva Longoria had been up to while the boys where gambling away their hard-earned money. Being a devoted fan of gambling herself, Eva’s choice of game is poker. She has come up with a way to use her love of the game to help those in need. Since 2008, the actress had been organizing charity poker events and gambling tournaments, which are all sponsored by Eva’s Heroes Foundation. Businessmen, social activists and Hollywood stars, including Eva, are all part of this foundation. All the money that is gathered through these events is transferred to people with intellectual disabilities.