The top gambling celebrities

Nothing can compete with the feelings of excitement generated from a weekend in Las Vegas. The gambling capital of the world is not just frequented by bachelor parties and poker addicts, Hollywood’s elite flock there in their droves. Who knew some of acting’s finest were actually talented gamblers?

New Gambling and Casino Sites on The Rise

With the pandemic putting a hiatus to any Vegas trip, more and more gambling aficionados – from casual players to the so-called big whales or high rollers – are taking their talents online to the latest casinos and bookmakers. Be warned, all this talk about cards and money gets your blood pumping – in that case, you could always join us at some great new top-rated online casinos.

We thought it appropriate to tear ourselves away from our new favorite casino games to dish the dirt on the biggest gamblers in Hollywood. For better or worse, here’s our top gambling enthusiast movie stars, to help you feel like a little slice of cinema-royalty.

Ben Affleck

Affleck is one of the biggest names in Hollywood since 1997’s Good Will Hunting. Not only did he star in the movie, but he also received the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay as he and friend Matt Damon wrote it. Including the many films he has starred in, he also directed a handful too.

In fact, you can add professional gambler to his illustrious resume since 2004. Entering into the California State Poker Championship, he not only held his own but made it to the final round. His pair of jacks beat off stiff competition from professional player Stan Goldstein to not just win the $365,000 pot, but also a seat on the World Poker Tour.

But poker isn’t his only gambling past time. In 2001 he was so determined to be good at blackjack, he employed professional teachers to learn to count cards and won $800,000 in a Las Vegas casino. He was promptly asked to leave as is the casinos right, but not before handing out $150,000 in tips to casino employees. That’s our kind of guy.

Matt Damon

You can’t mention one without the other, right? What sets Damon apart though was his role in the fantastic 90’s poker film, Rounders, where he was professionally trained for the part. Although the film didn’t earn him any awards, it’s thought of as the greatest poker film ever, much due to Damon’s dedication to the part.

Becoming a regular in New York’s underground poker scene and even being mentioned in Molly Bloom’s biography, it’s clear he had a passion for cards. These days, although still a keen player, he sticks to charity tournaments and social events.

Ray Romano

The star of “Everybody Loves Raymond” sure does love gambling, unfortunately a little too much. Romano’s fame saw him pocket a small fortune for every episode made which left him with plenty of spare change to indulge his pastime. This quickly developed into an addiction from which he battled for years.

After seeking professional help and overcoming his demons, Romano went on to produce and star in TV series “Men of a Certain Age”. His character, Joe, battles a gambling addiction as the show centres around three middle-aged men who are long-term friends. After the series wrapped in 2011, Romano admitted that the character was based around his own struggle and was used to further highlight the issue faced by many.

Although still a gambler, he avoids casinos and live betting. He does compete in World Series of Poker tournaments however, more for his stardom than skill.

Tobey Maguire

Since finding huge success as Spiderman, Maguire has amassed a decent fortune that make it extremely easy to follow his hobby of poker. In fact, Maguire is rumored to be the real-life character of “Player X”, played by Michael Cera in hit movie “Molly’s Game”.

Organising many celebrity poker games over the years, Maguire played not just for fun but made a small fortune off his A-list friends. He also has a penchant for the underground poker scene too, of which he was embroiled in a lawsuit. Don’t fret, he wasn’t really in the wrong, just happened to win a substantial amount of money that turned out to originate from an illegal Ponzi scheme.

His reputation as a real card shark has done nothing to balance out his Hollywood nice-guy image. But you can’t doubt his card skills.

New Casinos with Live Games

So, if like many of these celebrities, you too have an itch for gambling that you’re finding hard to scratch at present, why not head to a safe new online casino with live games. Much investment has been ploughed into state-of-the-art studios that will live-stream a dealer direct to your living room to get you that Vegas feeling from the safety of your bubble.

Being able to play at a new casino website but with the option of a real-life croupier is perfect for any player looking for that balance between authenticity and convenience. You can play poker like Maguire or maybe you’re more of an Affleck for blackjack. They’re both available, as are roulette and baccarat and other table games. And it sure beats leaving the house at present.