10 Hollywood Stars You Might Find in the Casino

The casino is a popular attraction for Hollywood’s biggest stars. From Bruce Willis, a regular on the craps tables, Ben Affleck on the poker table, and Pamela Anderson, who has her very own slot machine, the big earners of Tinseltown like to splash the cash. Here we check out 10 Hollywood celebs who love to gamble.

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Pamela Anderson

The Baywatch star’s celebrity may have faded somewhat since her time in the nineties as TV’s favourite lifeguard but she’s still a very recognisable face. Indeed, she’s such a major fixture in casinos that she has her very own Playboy slot machine at the Palms in Las Vegas. When she’s playing, she’s usually found on the poker tables.

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck’s favoured game appears to be blackjack. In fact, he was banned from Las Vegas’s Hard Rock Café courtesy of his win streaks. However, Molly Bloom, who famously ran underground high stakes poker games with stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and a host of other big names, claims Affleck was one of her regular clients.

Bruce Willis

Watch out for Bruce Willis on the craps tables. He apparently won $500,000 playing in Atlantic City once. During the making of Pulp Fiction, a fan saw the Die Hard actor at Albuquerque’s Route 66 Casino. And, during the Mayweather-McGregor fight in Las Vegas, Willis caught the casino bug: the action film star was spotted by fans at MGM Grand, betting on, you guessed it, the craps tables.

Tobey Maguire

Known to be a moody poker player with a bad temper, the Spider-Man actor has become a recognisable competitor thanks to his big wins. Phil Hellmuth, the professional poker star, claims Maguire’s winnings surpass $10 million from private games. Although he largely stays out of the limelight when playing, Maguire has appeared at the World Series of Poker several times.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is no stranger to the poker table and even lent a hand in launching the $3.2 billion Hollywood-themed Macau Studio City casino alongside other red carpet stars, film director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro. DiCaprio’s also well known in the online casino world courtesy of developers Bally and their Titanic-themed slot machine.

Jennifer Tilly

Jennifer Tilly is not only a well-known poker player, she’s had a lot success at major tournaments. She first hit the televised events in the early 2000s and, with the help of poker-champion Phil Laak, who happens to be her husband, earned a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2005 when she beat 600 other competitors. Her total tournament winnings exceed $1 million and she’s chalked up famous wins against poker professionals such as Isabelle Mercier and Cecilia Mortensen.

Jason Alexander

Jason Alexander, who famously played Richard Gere’s lawyer friend in Pretty Woman, has many televised poker event appearances. He even won Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown and has played in World Series of Poker events.

Paris Hilton

More socialite than film star but Paris Hilton, who appeared in House of Wax among other movies you’ve probably never heard of, claims she’s usually very lucky in Poker and once said she was obsessed with it, that it was her favourite game. Perhaps she’d have been better off sticking to the online casinos.

Shannon Elizabeth

A winner of the inaugural Nicky Hilton New Year’s Eve Poker competition, the American Pie star may still be more famous on the silver screen but has developed quite a reputation on the poker table. In 2007, she finished third at the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

Matt Damon

Matt Damon might be best known as the action star of the Bourne Identity films but he appeared in poker movie Rounders too. Damon is a huge fan of the game and spent thousands of dollars playing prior to, and during, filming to get a better idea of tactics and the various nuances of players during a match.

Hollywood celebrities are no strangers to making a bet at the casino. It might be poker, craps, baccarat or even a flutter on the slot machines but the allure of the casino is one that keeps them coming back for more.