Hard Rock vs. Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck drew a lot of attention in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, but it wasn’t the type that he’s used to.
Affleck, who was in town with wife Jennifer Garner prior to moving to Michigan, decided to have a little fun. He decided to fill the gaming void in his life by swinging by the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. His game of choice? Blackjack.
After several hands, he was approached by security, where they politely asked him to leave the table. Security alleges that Affleck uses perfect basic, or basic card counting, and that he used black $100 checks to keep track of the count. Security said that he was welcome to play the other games in the casino, but for the rest of his life, he’s banned from playing blackjack at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. He declined, and the casino supplied a car to both he and Jennifer Garner so they could travel back to their hotel. Hard Rock executives want to make it clear that Affleck isn’t banned from the property, only from playing blackjack.
Ben is no stranger to gambling. In 2001, he decided to try to get help for his gambling addiction. His problem had put his marriage with Jennifer Garner in jeopardy, and he wanted to take the steps necessary to treat the issue. After coming out of rehab, he claimed that he was cured of his gambling addiction, as well as his alcohol addition, only to later succumb to the tempting vices.
In 2011, he lost $400,000 to Ron Meyer in the top secret Poker ring filled with Hollywood’s top stars, including Tobey Maguire, Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, director Nick Cassavetes, and more. In 2011, Affleck won a staggering $800,000 at the same casino by playing three $20,000 blackjack hands simultaneously.
Affleck and Garner are planning to move their entire family to Detroit while he completes work on the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film, currently scheduled to release in the Summer of 2016. Whether the family wants to be close for the duration of the shoot or Garner just wants to keep a close eye on Ben is unknown, but this situation certainly doesn’t help his case. Unfortunately for Ben, there aren’t any casinos nearby. If he wants to scratch that gambling itch, he’ll have to look into signing up for an online casino. Fortunately for him, many online casinos offer no deposit bonuses, so it’ll make the transition from an actual casino to an online casino a little easier. He’ll also be able to broaden his gaming horizons a bit, as many online casinos offer games that may not be found in casinos. One thing’s for sure: it’s not likely he’ll be attempting to count cards again any time soon!