The lives of movie stars are undoubtedly fascinating. Their fabulous lifestyles complete with luxurious vacations, gorgeous houses, and glamorous events are routinely splashed across the media.
But the fates of their careers rest on the box office. No one can say which movies, will run and which wouldn’t. This can impact both their popularity and their lifestyles.
For this reason, a high threshold for risk is probably a big part of a star’s mental makeup. So it is little wonder that many celebrities respond to the attraction of casinos as well.
It is also possible that the really successful actors also have a lot of money to spend. They can take bigger risks than the average Joe without having to worry about how they will fund their basic expenses.
A number of big film stars have taken to casinos to prepare for roles. Interestingly, the star-studded Ocean’s Eleven was a gateway to typical casino gaming for two such:
- Brad Pitt – Arguably on the biggest Hollywood stars, Brad Pitt, for example, inducted himself into casinos to prepare for his role in Ocean’s Eleven. The popular heist film brought his interest to casinos and he still plays slots for entertainment.
- George Clooney – The Gravity actor George Clooney is another example. The popular celebrity is said to have taken a fascination with casinos to prepare for his role in the movie franchise too.
He saw so much promise in the industry, that he actually opened a casino business. He now owns the luxurious Las Ramblas Resort in Las Vegas. His partner in the venture is nightclub developer Rande Gerber.
There are plenty of others too. These include:
- Matt Damon – Pitt’s co-star from Ocean’s Eleven and its sequel Ocean’s Twelve, Matt Damon, is yet another movie star to bite the casino bait. Like Pitt, he too started off while preparing for a role. But his love affair with casinos started way back in 1998. At the time he was working on a casino-based movie called Rounders. He developed a long-term taste for it though and is known to play games like Poker and BlackJack. He is also known to have participated in tournaments with other movie stars.
- Ben Affleck – Matt Damon’s childhood friend and Argo star Ben Affleck might have most recently been in news for his wedding with Jennifer Lopez. But a lesser-known fact about the Oscar winner is his penchant for casino gaming. Affleck was a frequenter at Las Vegas casinos, where he played card games. He has had a tumultuous time with the activity though, is known for placing massive bets. His huge $400,000 loss in one hand of poker in 2001 is well known. As is his win of $356,000, also in a poker tournament, three years later.
- Bruce Willis – Action star Bruce Willis is known to be a good poker player too. He is said to have won half a million dollars at Atlantic City casino once.
- Toby Maguire – The actor known for his leading role in the Spiderman franchise and as the narrator in The Great Gatsby, is another example. It is said that he was once part of an illegal setup. It is no longer known if he still practices the activity, though.
It would be a mistake to think that casino gaming is a sport for just the rich and famous, however. The activity has become increasingly accessible with the proliferation of online casinos and related apps.
Popular games like Poker, Slots, and Slingo are available to play with a single tap of the screen. Online casino, Megaways Casino even offers Slingo demos that allow beginners to familiarise themselves with the game without any real stakes.
For movie fans who would like to play like their favorite stars, online Poker is a good choice on Megaways Casino too. The casino website offers an introduction to poker for beginners to familiarise themselves with it.
It also offers the game a range of features that can keep it exciting. These include bonuses and the casino even hosts poker tournaments.
BlackJack, another hit game with movie stars can also be played online across casinos. Even the well-known publication, The Washington Post, has the option to play the game along with others.
There are many other online casinos to choose from as well that offer a chance to win big. They keep it entertaining with a variety of games and themes ranging from cartoon characters to ancient civilizations.
It is quite clear that the lure of casinos can be indulged by everyone, preferably responsibly. Just the fact that there are so many gaming apps to choose from reflects their popularity.
Even high-profile celebrities have thrown their hat in the casino ring. In many cases, their gateway to it has been to prepare for roles.
Superstars like Brad Pitt and George Clooney are just a couple of examples. Both of them got into casinos to familiarise themselves with their roles in the popular Ocean’s Eleven movie series.
Others like childhood buddies Matt Damon and Ben Affleck too, like casinos too. Affleck’s chequered history with the game is the stuff of fables.
Bruce Willis, who plays the sensitive therapist in Sixth Sense, is also known to have a sense for these games too. Toby Maguire wasn’t quite as lucky though, having been busted in an illegal operation.
That doesn’t stop anyone from playing, though. Gaming is a recreational activity that brings both enjoyment and possible rewards.