Christina Ricci addicted to gambling

Christina Ricci has confessed she is "obsessed" with all forms of betting, from playing cards to staking money on horse racing and football games.

The Penelope star told People magazine: "I've learned to love gambling. I was in Australia for a few months and gambling is like a national pastime there, so I learned to love betting on horses, and now I even put in a few football bets and I'm kind of obsessed and into it. Gambling is pretty good."

The 27-year-old actress attended the grand opening party for the Palazzo Las Vegas on Thursday  with her boyfriend, Australian actor Christopher Gurry, who she met on the set of her new film Speed Racer.

Christina enjoyed playing blackjack at a table where Jerry Maguire actor Jerry O'Connell was also playing.

Although the actress rates herself as a card player, she admits she has less luck at the races, saying: "I have no strategy with horses and I never pick winners. But it's still fun."