Depending on whether you believe CNN or Vanity Fair, Afflick was not banned for card counting at the Hard Rock Casino in Vegas but asked to stop playing as he was ‘too good at the game’ and asked to leave. Card counting is not illegal, but it’s not considered ‘good form.’
Casinos look out for people with extraordinary skills or insider knowledge; Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man is an example, even if it’s just a film. Here’s a peek at the list.
- George Clooney
- Allen Iverson
- James Caan
- Frank Sinatra
- Sergei Pavlovich
George Clooney
George Clooney has played and won poker since he was a young man. He was one of the key figures in the high-stakes poker game featured in Molly’s Game and the Ocean’s films.
Clooney has not been banned or discouraged from professional gambling (as far as we know) at a land-based casino, but he has been bitten by overreaching. Clooney is only too aware that the house always wins. With this knowledge, he tried to open his own casino.
Las Ramblas is the name of Clooney’s casino that never got off the ground. He may not have been banned from a casino for his poker skills, but he was prohibited from owning a casino thanks to his business skills.
Allen Iverson
We all love a bad boy, but casinos, not so much! Iverson, a former basketball star with an impatient reputation, was banned from gambling at several Detroit casinos for disruptive and unpleasant behavior.
As poor losers go, Iverson takes the biscuit, throwing chips (not the potato kind) and abusing the dealer when he loses his shirt. Banning Iverson was more about not spoiling the atmosphere for others than his gambling prowess. He will have to stick to online gambling, were afraid. But with plenty of choices, like the slots found here at https://slotsjudge.com/online-slots/ that shouldn’t matter too much. That’s because Slots Judge has one of the largest catalogs of slots you will find on the net. And the best part about it is you can play many of these games for free!
Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton, the star who’s famous for doing – not much! She is banned from every Wynn hotel and casino, and it’s not because she’s a mathematical genius (she might be, but there’s no proof of that). According to CBS News, Hilton, the estranged great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, was caught with several grams of cocaine, which fell out of her handbag at the entrance to the Wynn Las Vegas.
To say that’s not a good look is an understatement, but it got worse for her boyfriend – Cy Waits, who lost his job as a managing partner of Wynn Resorts’ Tryst and XS clubs. These days, Hilton has cleaned up her act but, as far as we know, never returned to collect her coat from the Wynn Las Vegas.
Frank Sinatra
The original Rat Pack of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr spent so much time gambling and performing that they were in and around Las Vegas throughout their careers.
Media of the time often featured photos of the Rat Pack living their best life. However, the now-demolished Sands Hotel and Casino banned Frank Sinatra for throwing chairs at the casino boss and then driving a golf cart through a window.
What happened was that Sands Hotel and Casino cut off Sinatra’s credit, so he left for better terms at Caesars Palace, but not before he received a punch in the mouth from the casino manager.
The new Rat Pack isn’t much better – best friends Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Ben Afflick are well-known poker players who love to take on the house. They have all been spotted in land-based casinos, winning and losing.
Apart from Afflick, casinos have not banned the celebs. In fact, the opposite is true; casinos love a visit from a famous person; it’s excellent PR.
Sergei Pavlovich
UFC is a breeding ground for competitive personality traits. The Daily Mirror recently reported that Pavlovich “lost everything” while gambling in Las Vegas days before his latest UFC win.
Fans spotted Pavlovich and posted clips of his gambling debut on social media, which caused outrage among Pavlovich’s fans, who suggested that people should leave him in peace during his downtime.
After losing significant cash, the UFC star has banned himself from revisiting a casino, but we will wait to see what happens. What all these famous gamblers have in common is that they love the thrill of the chase, and casinos are full of thrills.