In Vegas, Jackpot Winner Ben Affleck Gives All

Aug. 29, 2000 -- — Proving that fame has dulled neither Ben Affleck’s blue-collar sensibility nor his sense of humanity, the chisel-jawed actor surprised workers at a Las Vegas casino last weekend by giving them all of his sizable jackpot.

Affleck and his bosom buddy, Matt Damon, were playing blackjack at the Hard Rock Café, and apparently Benny struck the big time. Just when you’d want to start complaining that he’s a rich Hollywood actor and hardly needs the cash, he goes and gives up the green — all $140,000 of it — to the Sin City Hard Rock employees.

An anonymous source told the New York Post, “He tipped out all of his chips to waitresses, dealers, concierges, bell guys — it was amazing … some people were getting $5,000, some people were getting more.”

Guess Ben remembers the Kenny Rogers song about knowing when to walk away from gambling.

Affleck and Damon also made friends with another batch of hard laborers in May, when they attended a rally at Harvard in order to urge the prestigious university to pay its janitors more than minimum wage. Affleck’s parents both worked as custodians at the institution.