- cr ime ▁author ▁C ath y ▁Scott ▁about ▁Ted ▁Bin ion , ▁a ▁wealth y ▁g amb ling ▁executive ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁sons ▁of ▁f amed ▁Las ▁Veg as ▁cas ino ▁magn ate ▁L ester ▁Ben ▁" Ben ny " ▁Bin ion , ▁owner ▁of ▁Bin ion ' s ▁H ors es ho e . ▁The ▁book ▁adaptation ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁screen writer ▁John ▁Ste pp ling . ▁ ▁The ▁story line ▁covers ▁the ▁real - life ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁death ▁of ▁the ▁younger ▁Bin ion , ▁a ▁drug ▁add ict ▁who ▁had ▁lost ▁his ▁Nev ada ▁g aming ▁license , ▁and ▁his ▁live - in ▁girl friend ▁Sand ra ▁Mur phy , ▁charged ▁with ▁murder ing ▁Bin ion ▁along ▁with ▁her ▁lo ver ▁Rick ▁Tab ish , ▁who ▁was ▁caught ▁dig ging ▁up ▁Bin ion ' s ▁buried ▁silver . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁▁ ▁The ▁film ▁first ▁premier ed ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁at ▁the ▁T uc son ▁Festival ▁of ▁Films . ▁ ▁Ind iew ire ▁wrote , ▁" L uck ily ▁for ▁Mad sen ▁fans , ▁the ▁actor ▁looks ▁to ▁be ▁having ▁a ▁complete ▁bl ast ▁in ▁his ▁most ▁recent ▁film , ▁Death ▁in ▁the ▁Des ert . ▁ ▁Veg as ▁Seven ▁Magazine , ▁in ▁its ▁review , ▁wrote , ▁" De ath ▁in ▁the ▁Des ert , ▁despite ▁its ▁protagon ist ’ s ▁wealth , ▁r ides ▁the ▁down be at ▁v ibe ▁of ▁a ▁back - al ley , ▁under bel ly