3 Celebrities With Fascinating Stories From Las Vegas

A lot of us have an image of Las Vegas as a party destination, and somewhere celebrities tend to frequent. This stereotype is certainly justified. It may be in the middle of the desert, but Vegas is a destination for American and global tourists, and that includes celebrities.

Why is Las Vegas a Hotspot For Celebrities?

Las Vegas is undoubtedly known as the home of gambling, and you can regularly see celebs hanging out on the Vegas Strip. There are quite a few different reasons why so many are drawn to the area.

Vegas is known as a spot for the high rollers (that are also offered online by different platforms), and those who are looking to take a risk to try to hit a big jackpot. A range of interesting progressive slots machines and casino games have big jackpots that can potentially entice celebrities to play. The likes of Ben Affleck, George Clooney, and Pamela Anderson have all been seen playing slot and casino games. Famous bands such as Guns ‘N Roses and Motorhead even have slot games named after them. If a celebrity enjoys gambling and wants to find a slot with a progressive jackpot or a game for high rollers, Vegas is the natural option.

Las Vegas is also relatively close to Hollywood. It is just over four hours to drive, so it makes sense that a lot of celebrities who have just finished shooting a film or music video in LA or Hollywood take a short hop to Vegas to celebrate.

Ben Affleck Wins Big and Gives Away the Money

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have been in plenty of movies with gambling themes. In the year 2000, the two of them were playing blackjack at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas and Affleck won an incredible $140,000.

According to a source who was there at the time, he gave all his chips to the staff there including dealers, waitresses, and other employees at the Hard Rock.

Ben Affleck’s game is blackjack, and he has been spotted in Las Vegas a number of times playing the game. He has been accused of card counting, something that is not technically illegal but is a way to get banned from some of the big casinos.

Affleck is known to be a generous guy and has given money to numerous charities and causes, including supporting the RAINN charity.

Britney Spears Gets Married and Regrets It

Vegas isn’t all about gambling, and plenty of celebrities have partied in the city, occasionally making some poor decisions in the process.

Britney Spears decided on a whim to marry Jason Allen Alexander after a brief period of dating and were wed the same day. Spears was just 20 years old at the time and instantly regretted the decision, partially due to some pressure from family and her agents and booking staff. There was no prenuptial agreement and they were worried she would lose her fortune, according to Jason.

After just 55 hours married, they got their marriage annulled, with the legal basis that Britney didn’t understand her actions. It is one of the shortest celebrity marriages ever.

Britney is still making headlines now, decades on. She recently got a lot of coverage when she confused fans with her accent, which seemed to flit between Australian and British. Maybe she’s been spending more time in Britain than in Las Vegas as the years have gone on.

Jennifer Tilly Carves Out a Poker Career

Star of Chucky, Liar Liar, and a raft of movies made in the 1990s and early 2000s, Jennifer Tilly is not quite as famous as some of the others on this list, but her Vegas story is one of the coolest.

As well as being an actress, Tilly has always been interested in poker, and in the 2000s she started playing a lot during the Texas Hold ‘Em boom that saw some big jackpots and plenty of interest in the game.

In 2005, she beat off competition from 600 different competitors to win the Ladies’ No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em event in Las Vegas, and she has gone on to reach career winnings of over $750,000. This is proof that it is certainly not luck and that Tilly is a talented poker player.

Tilly is very well-known in Las Vegas and as well as on the poker tour, and has regularly attended big openings and red carpet events including the opening of Pearl Nightclub.

Conclusion

For those with an interest in celebrity gossip, Las Vegas is always a hive of activity. Whether the interesting stories are coming from the casinos, the residencies, or just the thousands of celebrities who flock to the city for their vacations, there is always something interesting going on along the Las Vegas Strip.