Who doesn’t like a good public scandal? Well, as part of the entertainment industry, land-based casinos have quite a few stories to offer. Many celebrities are known for their love for gambling, but when they disregard basic decency or try to violate legal restrictions, casino personnel have no other choice but to ask them to leave. Luckily for rebellious A-listers, there are a bunch of new games available for them online. But it isn’t the same, is it? Anyway, here is a list of celebrities banned from casinos and their movie-worthy stories.
Paris Hilton
Source: AP
If there is a celebrity whose name is basically synonymous with ‘scandal,’ it’s Paris Hilton. The great-granddaughter of the founder of Hilton Hotels, she was simultaneously the it girl and the sign of trouble (or fun, depending on how you look at it) in the 2000s, until the new generation arrived. So, this should not be surprising that Paris Hilton tops the list of celebrities kicked out of a casino. What is surprising, though, is that the casino this enfant terrible was banned from belonged to her family. In 2006, Paris Hilton’s grandfather forbade her to enter Las Vegas Hilton because he was concerned with her spending habits. It was not uncommon for her to spend over $100,000 a night at the poker table.
However, the story does not end there. After a drug-related accident, Paris was banned from Wynn Las Vegas as well. What a legend.
Ben Affleck
Source: Looper
Ben Affleck’s story is even juicier. Remember how Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise’s characters from Rain Man won a fortune at blackjack thanks to impressive card counting technique? Allegedly, that’s what happened to Ben Affleck too. It is hard to imagine an A-list celebrity in need of money, especially considering that the incident took place in 2014, right when the filming of Affleck’s award-winning movie Gone Girl wrapped up. However, whatever happened, happened. Rumor has it that Affleck and his wife were enjoying a winning streak at the poker table at Hard Rock Cafe and Casino in Las Vegas when the employees approached them and asked them to leave (for good). Apparently, it was too much of a winning streak for the casino owners.
Allen Iverson
Source: ABC News
Allen Iverson may not be as famous as Paris Hilton and Ben Affleck, but his ‘banned from the casino’ incident is truly legendary. Iverson was among the NBA’s stars and is still considered one of the best players in the history of American basketball. Unfortunately, AI’s gambling background is less successful. Sure, every sports fan knows that Iverson was never a good boy; the list of controversies he was involved in goes on and on. Still, this particular story is something else. Back in 2004, AI was asked to leave and forbidden to enter Bally’s Atlantic City after . . . using a trash bin as a chamber pot. Right in one of the casino rooms.
Lil Wayne
Source: The New York Times
Similarly to many of his rap scene colleagues, Lil Wayne is notorious for his extravagant antics. His behavior in public has put him in trouble repeatedly. One of the incidents took place in 2010, when Lil Wayne was banned from Wynn Las Vegas in the middle of a gambling night out. Sadly, the reason why this happened is unknown – both the casino spokespeople and the rapper’s representatives stay tight-lipped. According to speculations (that do seem believable in this case), Lil Wayne was caught drinking, which was against his probation terms at the time. Anyway, the lack of an official statement adds intrigue to the story.
One Direction
Source: Cosmopolitan
The best-known boy band in music history concludes the list of A-list celebrities banned from land-based casinos. Admittedly, this story is nowhere near as juicy as the rest on the list. Back in 2012, when the incident took place, the famous five (Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson) were below 21, which is the legal age for gambling in Nevada. 1D demonstrated an astonishing lack of judgment and tried to play games of chance nonetheless. Quite expectedly, they were kicked out of Palms Casino Resort.