Celebrities are people just like us. They have hobbies and interests too and, like many people, they love gambling as well. No one is immune to feeling that rush you get when you win a big hand of poker or nail 21 in blackjack. Of course, some of them have a little more funds to work with than the average gambler. These celebrities just don’t gamble with a “few” more bucks in their pockets. They like to gamble big! Some win and lose millions of dollars on their favorite casino games like poker, blackjack and roulette.
For some reason, the personal lives of celebrities are incredibly interesting, especially the more sordid details. Gambling is legal, but still creates an air of mystery among the most active celebrity gamblers. You have to admit, there is a James Boned-esque element to being a great poker player in Vegas and Vegas caters to these celebrities every whim.
The following are some of the biggest names in Hollywood that also love to spend their free time gambling.
Michael Jordan
On the court, Michael Jordan is known as one of the most competitive athletes to walk the Earth. This competitive streak has won him six NBA titles (he never lost a final series), earned him a partnership with Nike, and sponsorship deals with brands like Gatorade. He’s one of the most recognized sports stars to ever walk the planet earth. This competitive streak also extends off the court and into Jordan’s personal life.
Michael Jordan is a well-known and prolific gambler, something that was known even during his hall of fame playing career with the Chicago Bulls. He gambled with huge stakes on and off the court on a regular basis.
While Jordan was well-known to spend hours and gamble millions of dollars on cards in Vegas, he was also known to bet millions on the golf course. He would even gamble against the staff of the Chicago Bulls on their long plane trips during the season and in the locker room. His gambling streak seemed to have not end and even likes to mix it up in card rooms during his retirement. It has been reported that Jordan has lost millions on gambling over the years. The good news is he can more than afford to do so thanks to his famous shoe line.
Ben Affleck
The first celebrity that comes to mind when you mention checking here all the Age of the Gods slot games is one of the biggest actors in the world, Ben Affleck. He has been a dedicated gambler since he first came on to the Hollywood scene.
Sourced from RadarOnline.com
Affleck has been known to rake in close to $800k while playing blackjack in Vegas. This was partly proven when he tipped the dealer an astonishing 150k. Affleck also has an enthusiasm for poker but blackjack is his primary game.
Tobey Maguire
The former Spider-Man star is notorious for this unrelenting love for poker, both in Vegas and in underground games worth millions of dollars. It is even rumored that he is the poker-obsessed celebrity that is alluded to in the movie “Molly’s Game”. In this movie the actor playing Tobey helped put high stakes games together with his famous friends and high rolling business people.
Maguire is known in poker circles to chase the rush of betting large sums of money at unsanctioned games. This is something that hasn’t been great in professional circles for the star and some have noted that he has worked less and less as his gambling got more intense.
Maguire recently had to settle a poker related lawsuit against him for $80,000.
Shannon Elizabeth
Shannon Elizabeth is best known as the apple of Jason Biggs’ eye in the American Pie series. Notably, her presence in major Hollywood films has dwindled throughout her career. This is partly because she has a new passion. Shannon Elizabeth is a professional poker player.
Shannon learned how to play poker from her family growing up in Texas. She has parlayed that knowledge into a formidable career as a pro player, even describing playing poker as her second career. At first she didn’t particularly like Texas Hold’em because of the lack of opportunities for discarding and picking up new cards. She quickly learned to love (and be highly successful at) the game due to her being mentored by some of the game’s legends. She started playing with poker legends Phil Laak, Jennifer Tilly, and Antonio Esfandiari. Not only did she start falling in love with Texas Hold’em, she quickly became a formidable force within the professional ranks.
Elizabeth won the first annual Nicky Hilton New Year’s Eve Poker Tournament and has cashed in 4 different times at the World Series of Poker.
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz is another avid gambler who just happens to be a major motion picture star. Diaz is one of the most successful models and actresses in Hollywood history. She’s been in countless movies that become some the biggest successes around the world.
She came to poker through her good friend Ellen DeGeneres. DeGeneres invited Diaz to play in some home games with other friends where Diaz started to take the winning on a regular basis. Diaz not can be seen regularly in celebrity poker tournament and local casinos alike.
One interesting thing about Diaz’s play is that she donates all of her winnings to charitable organizations she is passionate about. The fact that she donates all her winning almost makes other players feel bad when they take her money. Almost. Her philanthropic appetite is almost as big as her poker one. This makes for a great combination of winning and donating. Let’s hope she keeps on winning for those charitable organizations’ benefit.
These are just some of the biggest names in Hollywood that also love to gamble on games like poker. Who knows who you might sit with the next time you are in Vegas at the blackjack or poker table.
