The Most Famous Celebrity Gamblers

The Most Famous Celebrity Gamblers

Photo: PxHere

Celebrities are not immune to one of the most famous entertainment industries – gambling. Having fun at the gaming table is the preferred way of spending leisure time for many of them. Numerous actors, athletes, musicians visit elite brick-and-mortar casinos and seek the thrill of spinning the wheel. Some of them are just occasional players, however, not a small number of celebrities entered the professional gambling waters. They mastered their gaming skills and opened the door to their side-career. We bring you the list of the top 12 celebrity gamblers.

Ben Affleck

You know Ben Affleck as a famous actor, director, and screenwriter, but did you know he is a professional gambler as well? Besides winning the Academy Award as an actor, Ben also won the California Poker Championship in 2004! Although he never starred in a casino-themed movie, the Dark Knight mastered his blackjack and poker skills. He was so good in blackjack that Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas banned him from playing.

Pamela Anderson

When someone mentions Pamela Andreson, everybody thinks of Baywatch first. However, this famous Canadian-American supermodel from the 2000s and a Baywatch star is a huge fan of poker and casino slots. Despite her ups and downs at a gaming table, this gorgeous diva deserves a place on our list. If you want to check your gambling skills in an online casino, check the top gambling sites for fellow Canadian players.

Charlie Sheen

Charlie Sheen, who starred in a popular comedy show “Two and a Half Men,” didn’t need to put much effort into Charlie’s role. His character in the series was pretty similar to his personal life. Sheen’s perfect comic timing, unforgettable scenes, and sense of humor made this show so popular. Sports betting is his major gambling activity, and this is no different from his character in the series. Charlie is well-known as a passionate sports bettor, while he also likes to play a game of poker occasionally.

Jennifer Tilly

Another female celebrity found her place on this list. This famous Hollywood actress mastered poker, and she is a semi-pro player. Besides being a talented actress, Jennifer is quite good in Texas Hold ’em poker as well! Actually, she is the only celebrity who won the World Series of Poker tournament back in 2005. The competition featured 600 players, but Jennifer managed to become a champion and get a $150,000 prize. This Academy Award Nominee was the best at the Ladies’ No-Limit Texas Hold ’em championship as well. If you are a fan of card player magazines, you will see Jennifer on their covers.

Matt Damon

Many know him as Jason Bourne, and of course, it’s Matt Damon. He shares the same passion as his best friend, Ben Affleck. Some would say that Matt is even more passionate about gambling than his childhood friend! His main “discipline” is Texas Hold’em poker, and you can see Matt and Ben often in the luxury casinos in Sin City.

Everything started when Johnny Chan, a legendary player, trained Edward Norton and Matt Damon while they were working on the “Rounders” movie. It seems that Matt was listening carefully to his trainer and picked up some tricks as he is pretty successful in playing poker.

Photo : DR

Charles Barkley

Let’s switch to athletes a bit. The former NBA star Charles Barkley also likes to compete against the live dealer in a blackjack game. He is a regular visitor of the top-rated casinos in Las Vegas despite not being so skilled player. However, Charles says he can afford this kind of entertainment, and he doesn’t intend to stop playing.

George Clooney

We are used to watching George Clooney as an extravagant actor in numerous movies, and often at a gaming table. Ocean’s Eleven is the best example, and George didn’t leave his passion for gambling on a movie set. He likes to gamble behind the scenes as well and even made some efforts to open his casino. However, this project was not successful despite Clooney made an investment to reconstruct Las Ramblas in Las Vegas.

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is one of the most successful golf players is also well-known as a high-roller player at the gaming table. MGM Grand allowed him a $1 million wagering limit since he’s a regular player at this casino. Tiger’s preferred casino game is blackjack, and the interest in gambling brought him close to Micheal Jordan and Charles Barkley. Eventually, they became good friends.

Ray Romano

You must have watched and loved Everybody Loves Raymond,” a comedy series starred by Ray Romano. This Emmy Award winner also played the character Joe Tranelli in another TV show, “Men of a Certain Age,” which is a gambling-related one. Ray enjoys sports betting and poker. This popular actor takes participation in the World Series of Poker every year, hoping that he will eventually end up as the winner.

Photo : TNT

Michael Phelps

One of the most successful swimmers of all time switched the swimming pool with a poker table. Although Michael owns 22 Olympic Games medals, he is not that successful in gambling. Although he played in several tournaments, Phelps is still not considered a pro poker player. However, he continues to pursue a professional poker career.

Tobey Maguire

Unlike Michael Phelps, the Spiderman star plays poker professionally, and he is pretty much successful. Despite losing to Ben Afleck in 2004, Tobey won the prize in the Hollywood Park Casino tournament. Maguire didn’t waste his time, and he mastered his poker skills thanks to Daniel Negreanu, a six-time WSOP champion and a Canadian pro poker player. As a result, he won the World Series of Poker as well.

Michael Jordan

An NBA legend and a terrific scorer is another passionate casino player. Arguably the best basketball player places his bets on the craps games. Although the house edge is considerably low for this casino game, it is still a pure game of chance. Air Jordan is a huge fan of sports betting as well, particularly golf wagering. It is not strange since Jordan used to play golf as well.

Published on 16 February 2021
Last update : 16 February 2021

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