The link between celebrities and casinos is well-established. Arguably this cool connection was established in the 1950s when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr played at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Nor were they alone, some of the biggest names in Hollywood played the world-famous Copa Room at the Sands. Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong are just some of the talent that helped to glamorize both Vegas and the casino culture.
But perhaps it was Ian Fleming’s fictional creation, James Bond that did more for the casino than anyone. Bond makes his debut in 1962’s Dr No in which Bond makes his first casino visit.
Bond would go on to visit the casino another six times: Thunderball, Casino Royale, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, For Your Eyes Only and Golden Eye. Every single Bond actor got to play casino, and with the exception of Daniel Craig in the 2006 version of Casino Royale, Bond always played Baccarat.
The connection between the casino and glamour is now hard-wired into our consciousness. However, there are some celebrities whose associations with casinos go far beyond playing a role in a movie.
Frank Sinatra
Yep, in addition to playing in the casino, Frank would often be seen enjoying blackjack, poker and baccarat after a show. He wasn’t a bad player either, but it was his celebrity status that upped the game.
It’s been said that Frank’s association with the casino helped to establish Atlantic City, not just Vegas, as a major gaming location in the US. Perhaps Bond has a little more competition than we thought…
Walter Matteau
Walter Matteau, an old-school Hollywood star best known for the Odd Couple, loved casinos. His fondness for a flutter is well documented, but when it came to games, Matteau said he couldn’t walk past a craps table without a quick roll!
Charlie Sheen
His father, Martin, may have been a slightly younger contemporary of Matteau, but it was Charlie who got bit by the casino bug. Sheen is still a regular visitor to Vegas and has been seen hanging out in some of the most luxurious establishments in the world.
In 2017 Sheen won over $2 million playing roulette, but he’s also partial to a few hands of poker too. And by all accounts, he’s a good player, but there are some that excel…
Ben Affleck
One such player is Ben Affleck and like most of the celebs on the list, Vegas is his go-to town to play. Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha and Blackjack are his favourite games, and he’s so good at the latter he once got a temporary ban from the Hard Rock casino!
And no, he wasn’t card counting, he’s just a very talented player, but how did he get to be so good? Well, while studying at Harvard (no less) he worked as a croupier during his vacations. Bingo.
Matt Damon
You can’t mention Affleck without thinking of his mate, Matt Damon. And like his mate, Damon also likes to spend the odd evening in the casino.
However, Damon got into casinos through his career as an actor, Rounders (1998) and the Oceans 11 franchise inspired him to play for real. And he’s renowned for his gentlemanly conduct while playing his favourite game, poker.
50 Cent
It’s not just actors that like to spend the odd evening in a casino -though Fiddy has been known to tread the proverbial board from time to time. But when it comes to downtime in his favourite casino, Blackjack and Poker is where it’s at.
Slash
The famous axeman for rock darling Guns ‘n’ Roses is a big fan of poker and he’s been known to play in some of the top casinos in the world.
But when your neighbour is Robbie Williams, who also likes to play, it’s a bit of a no-brainer: let me entertain you with Poker, then! And that’s exactly what these guys like to do of an evening.
Jennifer Tilly
Why should all the boys have the fun? Jennifer Tilly may not be the household name she was in the 80s and 90s, but maybe that’s because she’s too busy playing poker!
And she’s not bad at either, she’s won over $1 million playing high-stakes games, some even live on TV. You show ‘em, girl!
Shannon Elizabeth
American Pie actor Shannon Elizabeth seems to have taken a leaf out of Tilly’s book. Sure, the day job might be slower than it was, but when it comes to Poker, Elizabeth is doing just fine.
And just like Tilly, she’s made a name for herself -and more than a few measly bucks- playing live tournaments. Which is more than can be said for fellow actor Pamela Anderson…
We’ll leave that there!