Poker and casinos have grown greatly in popularity this millennium thanks to the internet and television coverage.
These days there are numerous casinos to choose from and many of them run TV commercials as part of their brand awareness. Some even go as far as hiring celebrities to star in their ads.
Here’s a few actors and commercials you may recognise from recent years:
Dolph Lundgren
The star of Rocky IV in 1985, playing Russian boxer Ivan Drago, Dolpl Lundgren played a legitimate badass boxer to offer a threat to Sylvester Stallone’s character’s title.
Born in Sweden, Lundgren then starred as He-Man in Masters of the Universe two years later before several direct-to-video roles.
However, in 2018, Swedish casino LeoVegas took a chance on the then 60-year-old for TV commercials in his homeland as well as online.
These days, casinos can be accessed from all over the world via the internet, poker apps and smart TVs, likewise so can Dolph’s advert:
Verne Troyer
The late Verne Troyer rose to film at the turn of the millennium, playing memorable comedy roles in Jingle All the Way, Austin Powers and Harry Potter.
In 2014 Troyer then became the face of Bgo, staring in some memorable TV ads as the boss, challenging players to beat him. He remained in this role until his death in 2018.
Ray Winstone
Known for his hard man roles in the likes of Scum, Quadrophenia and Nil by Mouth, Ray Winstone has been the face of Bet365 adverts since 2009 and still remains today.
Although the London-born actor is predominantly used for their sportsbook commercials, the UK-based company also offer a casino and run commercials for that product.
Heather Graham
Actress, director and writer, Heather Graham started her career in TV commercials before getting her first film role in Mrs. Soffel in 1984. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin-born actress’ career eventually took off in the early 1990s, starring in the likes of Guilty as Charged, Twin Peaks and Six Degrees of Separation.
Graham continues to star in films today, with Love Guaranteed the latest to hit the big screen. In between breaking out and today, Heather Graham was appointed to be the face of UK casino Foxy Bingo in 2017.
Looking younger than her birth certificate says, the American’s roles in the adverts have been made memorable.
Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio
The other names on our list are just the warm up for the mega stars that competed in the same advert together. Leonardo DiCaprio’s love for poker was revealed in the biographical book, Molly’s Game. Before that, the actor had starred alongside legend Robert De Niro in 2015 for a new casino resort in Macau.
Directed by Martin Scorsese in what was a $70 million promotion, the commercial saw De Niro and DiCaprio go head-to-head for the same part in a fake movie called The Audition.
Macau is known worldwide as the “gambling capital of the word” and the “Monte Carlo of the East”, so the budget didn’t come as a huge surprise.
