▁I ▁cannot ▁touch ▁the ▁money ? ", ▁his ▁att orney ▁rep lies , ▁" es pecially ▁not ▁you ." ▁ ▁Cast ▁ ▁Ryan ▁O ' Ne al ▁as ▁Steve ▁Tag gart ▁ ▁Catherine ▁H icks ▁as ▁Flo ▁ ▁Gian car lo ▁Gian n ini ▁as ▁Char ley ▁ ▁Br idget te ▁Anders en ▁as ▁Amy ▁ ▁Ch ad ▁Ever ett ▁as ▁The ▁Dutch man ▁ ▁John ▁Sax on ▁as ▁Sports ▁Editor ▁ ▁H ank ▁Gre ens p un ▁as ▁The ▁Las ▁Veg as ▁Sun ▁publish er ▁ ▁William ▁Smith ▁as ▁Pan ama ▁Hat ▁ ▁Keith ▁He f ner ▁as ▁S ween ey ▁ ▁Patrick ▁Cass id y ▁as ▁Sold ier ▁ ▁William ▁Prince ▁as ▁Mitchell ▁ ▁Ch ad ▁Mc Que en ▁as ▁Con v ict ▁ ▁Fred ▁Ro ble do ▁as ▁sports ▁des k ▁editor ▁ ▁Production ▁Richard ▁Bro oks ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁problem ▁of ▁g amb ling ▁in ▁America ▁while ▁recover ing ▁from ▁a ▁heart ▁attack ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁He ▁began ▁research ing ▁the ▁topic ▁and ▁wrote ▁the ▁script ▁over ▁two ▁years . ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁to ▁be ▁produced ▁by ▁D ino ▁de ▁Laur enti is ▁under ▁the ▁title ▁The ▁F ever ▁and ▁Bro oks ▁wanted ▁Sam ▁She p ard ▁to ▁play ▁the ▁lead . ▁De ▁Laur enti is ▁dropped ▁out ▁and ▁Ryan ▁O ' Ne al ▁was ▁cast ▁instead . ▁Fil ming ▁took ▁place ▁from ▁October ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁to ▁January ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁and ▁Bro oks ▁spent ▁nine ▁months ▁editing ▁it