Over the last few years the gambling fever has grown dramatically, thanks to the sudden rise of online casinos you’ll find reviewed on sites like casinocountdown.com. Therefore, also the number of players among the celebrities has increased. Some do it just for fun, others have turned this passion into a real business. So, let’s talk about seven celebrities with a gambling story.
Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck’s love story with blackjack began more than a decade ago. And out of his earnings, it seems that he has reached almost 400 thousand dollars, which he then donated to charity. His eagerness for victory costed him dear though. For instance, in 2014, he cheated by counting cards during a blackjack play which is a serious violation of the game. On that occasion, Affleck was expelled from the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas, although he never confirmed these rumors.
Sean Connery
Sean Connery, famous for his role as James Bond, is not only a very good actor, but also a great roulette player. A passion inherited from his father. His favorite number is 17. According to a story dating back to 1963, Connery was in Italy to shoot a film and went to a casino putting all his chips on this number. After numerous attempts, always on the number 17, he managed to win the record amount of 15 million lire.
Jennifer Lopez
The Puerto Rican actress and singer has never hidden her passion for the green table and the roulette. However, the real gambling star in the family is Jennifer’s mother, Guadalupe Rodriguez. The lady seems to have hit the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, winning almost two and a half million dollars in the slot machines.
Robert De Niro
The Italian-American actor, after playing Asso in the film “Casino” by Martin Scorsese, has managed to turn his passion for gambling into something concrete: a luxury casino resort that will see the light in a real tropical paradise, Antigua and Barbuda. The project is worth 250 million dollars and his business partner is James Packer, one of the most famous and successful businessmen in the world. De Niro is not new to such initiatives; for instance, in the past he has already invested in the Nobu Hotel Manila, a structure that houses luxury hotels and casinos, including 380 gaming tables and 1,700 slot machines.
Cameron Diaz
Weak sex? No way! The famous actress Cameron Diaz knows this very well. Everything started from an invitation sent to the Charlie’s Angel by Ellen Degeneres for taking part in No Limit Hold’em, a charity tournament. Soon, Cameron Diaz found out a real passion, which made her one of the strongest celebrities in this game. In 2010, she was elected by the magazine Maxim “Miss Texas Hold’em”, stealing the title from Heather Graham, Mena Suvari and Jennie Garth.
George Clooney
Actor and director of great talent, George Clooney has never hidden being a great lover of gambling. On the other hand, it could not be otherwise for one of the protagonists of Ocean’s Eleven and Ocean’s Twelve. He decided to turn his passion into a real business, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2007, Clooney partnered to create the Las Ramblas building in Las Vegas, a complex consisting of residences, hotels and, of course, casinos.
Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal, one of the strongest tennis players of all time, since 2010 discovered in Texas Hold’em a new passion, with which the Spaniard has admitted to spend most of his free time. He also said that once his tennis career will end, he could think about entering the poker circuit and perhaps even taking part in the World Series.
These were just few stories. There are so many celebrities that go crazy for gambling and for casinos. Some of them have never made a mystery of this passion while some others want to keep it more hidden. In any case, one thing is sure: Gambling has its charm, and many people enjoy it – celebrity or not!