Sylvester Stallone is the executive producer of a new drama based on iconic Las Vegas casino owner Benny Binion. Amazon MGM will collaborate with Balboa Productions on the project.
It is an adaptation of the 2014 book, Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, which looks at the legendary figure’s life spanning from being a gangster in Texas to running some of the biggest casinos in the world.
Cole Hauser, best known for playing Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone, will play the lead role. Stallone believes that Hauser is the perfect fit for the Binion character, stating that the story “will captivate audiences.”
Benny Binion was a gangster in Dallas, where he ran illegal gambling operations. After involvement in several murders, including one where Binion shot himself to try to pretend he killed someone in self-defense, he moved to Nevada in 1946.
biggest achievement was hosting the first-ever World Series of Poker in 1970
There he opened Binion’s Horseshoe in 1951, focusing on attracting action from serious gamblers. His biggest achievement was hosting the first-ever World Series of Poker in 1970. He later lost his gaming license in 1964 due to criminal ties, so he passed control of the Horseshoe to his sons. The property still operates today on Fremont Street as Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel.
