Ben Affleck Explains His Blackjack Ban In Las Vegas

When Ben Affleck got banned from the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas for allegedly counting cards at blackjack, it seemed like a surprise. Sure, this ban would have made sense back in 2001, but Affleck is a reformed bad boy; he’s now a father to three, and has an adorable marriage with Jennifer Garner. What was he doing getting banned from a blackjack table?

Well, fortunately Affleck is finally addressing what exactly happened at that table, and why he’s a “danger” to blackjack tables everywhere. In an interview with Details, Ben owns up to the story.

“That is a true story. I took some time to learn the game and became a decent blackjack player. And once I became decent, the casinos asked me not to play blackjack. I mean, the fact that being good at the game is against the rules at the casinos should tell you something about casinos.”

The Gone Girl star continued to rip the casinos a new one when talking about their money making business, and how uneven their ethics are.

“[T]hey don’t even want you to have a sporting chance, really. There’s a lot of hospitality, backslapping, when they think you’re gonna come in and dump money, and if they think you might leave with some money, it’s like, ‘You know what? Why don’t you try craps or roulette?'”

The only real adjustment in the story is that Affleck is not banned from the entire casino.

“I wish I could say [the Hard Rock security members] were afraid of me in every capacity, but they only said, ‘No blackjack.'”

For those that don’t know, counting cards isn’t illegal but it is forbidden in casinos for obvious reasons.

In addition to being an excellent blackjack player, Affleck also has a bit of history at the poker table as well. In 2004 he won the California State Poker Championship.

Hard Rock casino released a statement back in May, shortly after the news broke. “Mr. Affleck, a valued guest of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, is not banned from our property and is welcome back any time,” the company said.

In fact, it was reported that the staff even gave Affleck and his wife Jennifer Garner a car after he left the casino. It was said that the two were on a romantic getaway before Affleck started shooting Batman v. Superman in Detroit.

These days, Affleck is too busy for the casino. As stated, he’s currently shooting in Detroit and jetting off to promote his latest film Gone Girl.

[Image via Terry Straehley / Shutterstock.com]