A star-studded movie called Runner, Runner will profile the world of online gambling. The movie is set for release on September 27th, and it will star Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake. The movie begins with Richie Furst (played by Justin Timberlake), a Princeton student who is putting himself through university by playing poker online. He is cheated out of his winnings by the website, and his tuition money is lost.
Furst discovers that the site is operated from an offshore location, and heads overseas to confront the owner, Ivan Block (portrayed by Ben Affleck). Block discovers that Furst is a mathematical prodigy and offers him a job working for his online gambling company. He promises him a 7-figure salary in the first year, and Furst quickly becomes Block’s right-hand man.
Unfortunately, Furst becomes the target of an FBI investigation and gets entwined in a world of crime. The film has been produced by living legend Leonardo DiCaprio, so it already has a great deal of clout. It is one of the most highly anticipated films of the fall. Recently, the American Gaming Association has decided to use the film in order to push online gambling legislation in the United States.
The hope is that the movie will provide some widespread appeal to online poker, and encourage residents to support the laws that would online gambling legal and allow the local government to regulate offshore operators. However, there are concerns that the plan could backfire. The film shows dark side of the online gambling market, the absolute worst case scenario.
As such, using Runner, Runner to convince the American government to legalize online poker could be a bad idea. The film may reassure Americans that have already adopted the viewpoint that online gambling should be kept out of their homes. It truly is a gamble for the American Gaming Association.