Life of WSOP Founder Benny Binion to Be Made Movie by Sylvester Stallone 

Benny Binion, a Texas gangster turned casino mogul, is one of the most influential figures in the modern-day gambling landscape, and one of his most notable legacies is the World Series of Poker, the World Cup for poker, if you will. 

World Series of Poker Founder to Have His Story on the Big Screen 

Now, his life story will be turned into a movie, based on the existing work of a 2014 book called Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, which delves into his biography and unearths titillating nuggets of factoids. 

The movie is produced by Sylvester Stallone, and Amazon MGM will collaborate with Balboa Productions to complete the project. Binion will be played by Cole Hauser, known for his role as Rip Wheeler in Yellowstone, which Stallone has welcomed as the right man for the job.

Binion’s story is fascinating. To this very day, Texas does not authorize most forms of gambling, bar the lottery, with the Lone Star State remaining hesitant on everything else, if not downright opposed.

It was in this frigid gambling climate that Binion carved his name and notoriety, running illegal gambling operations. His life is littered with heinous acts, including alleged involvement in several murders, one of which Binion insisted was committed in self-defense.

Eventually, he moved to Nevada in 1946, where he opened one of the city’s most iconic properties – the Horseshoe in 1951, and despite his notoriety, successfully marketed the property, reeling in some of the biggest gamblers of the time. 

Binion eventually hosted the World Series of Poker in 1970, the event that would soon become the norm in the poker community. Despite its shaky beginning, Binion, who is by no means a nice person, has been able to lay the groundwork for competitive poker and shape the future of the game.

Binion’s Horseshoe legacy lives on as Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel, and the man himself is forever inscribed in gambling, despite his personal and moral failings.