Seeing himself in the casino???

I just watched the movie on Pay Per View (didn't even know it existed). I did some digging and found a site that interviewed the director. This part of the interview that mentions that scene:

RK: I had a private meeting with him, just once, before we started shooting. I suppose that I wanted to get his blessing, and I did, but I also wanted to make sure that some of the details of the banking operation were accurate.

There was a lot of guesswork in the script, and I wanted to be sure we weren't getting anything wrong.

MCN: Did you learn what drove his addiction?

RK: There's a point, after Mahowny loses his money in the final craps game, when he stands back and watches himself gambling. Molony said, "Now, where did that come from?"  I really couldn't remember, but he said it mirrored the way he felt. So, that was reassuring.

Seemed like it just tied up the whole, "small time to big time" gambler thing. Like when he enters casino the first time and we see the big time asian being escorted, then later its him.

The one thing I didn't like was there was absolutely no... emotion. I mean the guy was so cool about everything it seemed, ITS so much money, no swearing. Or better yet the times he was winning, nothing. Then in interview, saying he got a 100 out of 100 gambling. Didn't buy it.

My guess... his conscience or superego. At the time, he was winning big and I thought this apparition would compel him to cash in and leave. When the apparition disappeared a moment later, he was doomed to lose it all.

basically he is finally realizing and actually seeing himself about to lose all of his money. but due to his illness, he is unable to stop..

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Basically, in literary terms, seeing your exact double or "doppelganger" is an indication that either your death or a disaster is coming. I think it's fairly clear that this must have been the intention of the filmmakers here.

A vote for Bush is a vote for Bush

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The director came and talked to my class of 17 today after we watched the film. He talked about this scene in detail and was explaining how Mahowney was in the position at the beggining of the film watching the high roller at the same table. He also mentioned that there was a point in a persons life where he sees himself, as though watching him..and this point in Malony's life, as a o/c gambler, knew he was unable to make a rational decision-that he would just keep gambling even though he was up. When the director originally met the real Dan Mahowney, Malony agreed with him about the accuratness of this scene and was very intrigued that it was being included in the film.