MGM and Balboa Productions Developing Benny Binion Series

A new television drama focusing on the life of Benny Binion is currently in development at MGM Television and Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions. The project is an adaptation of the 2014 book Blood Aces, written by Doug J. Swanson. 

The narrative explores Binion’s transition from a Dallas-based underground operator to a primary architect of the Las Vegas gambling industry and the creator of the World Series of Poker.

• Executive Producer: Sylvester Stallone (Balboa Productions)

• Lead Actor: Cole Hauser (American Outlaw Entertainment)

• Source Material: Blood Aces by Doug J. Swanson

• Studio Partner: MGM Television

Stallone highlighted the significance of Binion’s legacy, describing him as a "conduit connecting many worlds" and a foundational figure in the global popularity of poker.

The series aims to capture the "Wild Ride" of Binion’s life, including his departure from North Texas following legal troubles to his eventual establishment of the Horseshoe Casino in 1949. 

The Binion series joins several other high-profile gambling narratives currently in the pipeline:

1. Starz: A series regarding the Ippei Mizuhara sports betting saga.

2. Netflix: A casino drama involving Martin Scorsese and the writers of Rounders.