Lots of celebrities enjoy spending their money on any number of extravagant desires, and that includes gambling. More than just a few celebrities love to go for a spin on the roulette or master their acting skills through a round of poker. Some of them have even mastered the art, and now engage in it as an alternate profession.
However, not everyone is a James Bond at the table, and a number of them also end up losing lots of money. Of course, not always can a game of poker turn out like your favorite casino movies. Here are 9 celebrities who like to try their luck at the tables.
9 Celebrities Who Love to Gamble
Charlie Sheen
The “Two and a Half Men” star has had an extensive gambling history since youth. However, the actor who bagged around $1.8 million per episode is likely to have more than enough money the splurge on any number of luxurious casinos. Denise Richards, Sheen’s ex-wife has said that the actor used to spend over $20,000 a week just on sports betting, which is also where he made the most losses.
Ray Romano
The Emmy winning star played the character Joe Tranelli, a middle-aged man addicted to gambling, in the series “Men of a Certain Age”. Interestingly, the character is based on his real-life experiences. Now recovering, he was once in need of help due to his gambling addiction. However, he stills gambles and bets on sports today, and is a regular at the World Series of Poker every year.
Ben Affleck
The Academy Award winning actor, screenwriter, and director had to reportedly be taken to rehab back in 2001 because of his gambling and alcohol addiction. Affleck is a master of online poker and blackjack though and had even won the 2014 California State Poker Championship. His favorite game is blackjack as he reportedly very talented at winning hands, so much so that he was banned from the game at a Las Vegas Casino in 2014.
Tobey Maguire
The Spiderman actor is a poker pro, and was even sued in 2011 for being a member of an illegal gambling ring involving millions of dollars. He learnt the game from Daniel Negreanu, a Canadian professional poker player who was also a six-time champion of the World Series of Poker. He is reportedly highly skilled at Texas Hold’em Poker and is believed to have bagged over $10 million in the game. However, his alcohol and gambling habits go back to histeenager years, and he was also admitted to the AA rehab center at 19.
50 Cent
Rapper and Actor 50 Cent is well known for his sports betting antics. In the historic bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. of the US and Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines, 50 Cent reportedly placed a bet of $2 million on Mayweather. He also bet $500,000 on the championship match between the New York Giants and the Dan Francisco 49ers. Of course, he managed to win big on both counts.
Derren Brown
Derren Brown was a gambler even before he became a celebrity and was a regular across a number of London casinos. However, his foray into the professional gambling world didn’t last long because he was reportedly “too good”. Casino employees say that Brown only bets in tiny amounts, and never loses. Of course, casino employees also remember him being banned from Birmingham’s Broadway Plaza Casino a few years back for being too good at blackjack.
Matt Damon
The lead actor of the Jason Bourne series is another well on own face that’s addicted to gambling. He can be seen regularly visiting casinos with his childhood friend Ben Affleck, and the duo often regular Texas Hold’em Poker tables in luxury hotels across Las Vegas. He too was a part of the illegal Beverly Hills gambling ring alongside Tobey Maguire.
Pamela Anderson
A number of prominent female faces are also visible within gambling circles. Former fashion model and Baywatch star Pamela Anderson has a history of addiction to poker and casino slots. Rumor also suggests that the reason she married Rick Salomom was so she could get help settling her $250,000 poker sent to a Vegas based casino
Victoria Coren-Mitchel
Popular British writer and panel show presenter Victoria Coren-Mitchel is also a professional poker player, and also the first woman to bag a European poker title back in 2006. She has been a regular at several poker competitions and won the main event at the 2014 European Poker Tour Sanremo. As of today, her total winnings are over $2.5 million.