Walter Matteau, an old-school Hollywood star best known for the Odd Couple, loved casinos.

Perhaps Bond has a little more competition than we thought… It’s been said that Frank’s association with the casino helped to establish Atlantic City, not just Vegas, as a major gaming location in the US. He wasn’t a bad player either, but it was his celebrity status that upped the game. Yep, in addition to playing in the casino, Frank would often be seen enjoying blackjack, poker and baccarat after a show. However, there are some celebrities whose associations with casinos go far beyond playing a role in a movie. The connection between the casino and glamour is now hard-wired into our consciousness. Every single Bond actor got to play casino, and with the exception of Daniel Craig in the 2006 version of Casino Royale, Bond always played Baccarat. Bond makes his debut in 1962’s Dr No in which Bond makes his first casino visit.īond would go on to visit the casino another six times: Thunderball, Casino Royale, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, For Your Eyes Only and Golden Eye. Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong are just some of the talent that helped to glamorize both Vegas and the casino culture.īut perhaps it was Ian Fleming’s fictional creation, James Bond that did more for the casino than anyone. Nor were they alone, some of the biggest names in Hollywood played the world-famous Copa Room at the Sands. Arguably this cool connection was established in the 1950s when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr played at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The link between celebrities and casinos is well-established.

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