Professional athletes on the courts, fields and tracks are the most gambling people on the planet. In the rings and octagon, fighters use dozens of holds, take hundreds of punches and gather all their strength to go undefeated. Unrelenting in their physical feats, many beloved athletes are addicted to gambling.
Even despite all sorts of bans by the sports associations under whose auspices they play, many sports stars can be found in land-based casinos, or online clubs, including Irish online casinos. This proves once again that they are human beings just like us.
Floyd Mayweather
The sportsman has a reputation as a desperate gambler in his hometown of Las Vegas. He even went by the moniker “Money” since he was so willing to part with it. R.J. Bell, a bookmaker, predicted that Mayweather will wager $5 million for his final match against Conan McGregor. Later, ESPN made known that the fighter attempted to wager $400,000 on his victory. M Resort declined the wager, claiming it would be against the law. After that, Mayweather requested that his pal get $87,000 in his stead.
In the Bahamas, Mayweather held a $300,000 blackjack tournament. The fighter demonstrated his knowledge of the sport at the time. Each hand he wagered $100,000. Floyd even made a disclosure to the Daily Telegraph, “I want to be free to go to places, bet and play blackjack.”
Wayne Rooney
Former MJ legend and Everton star, Wayne Rooney, has always been an inspiration to athletes who want a diversion from their main profession. According to The Sun newspaper, Rooney lost £500,000 over a drunken game of blackjack and roulette. Sources report that the footballer perceives defeat the same way we all do.
Rumour has it the footballer looked quite unhappy and broken. “He was muttering swear words and staying in his little world full of slot machines and card tables. Rooney was really depressed about losing.”
Mario Balotelli
Not all wealthy athletes are individualists. Former Liverpool forward and now Nice’s Ligue 1 striker, Mario Balotelli, is generous with his winnings. When Mario won £25,000 at an underground gambling club in Manchester, he met a homeless man in the street.
The footballer donated £1,000 to the unfortunate man and must have made his week. Eyewitnesses said the tramp couldn’t believe his eyes when he received a wad of notes from Mario.
Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley, who has put other basketball players on the spot, has been in their shoes in Las Vegas himself. He admitted to losing $20 million at the gaming tables. Casino Winn once sued to recover the $400,000 Charles owed.
While Barkley says he has curbed his addiction, he is fleetingly able to drop controversial confessions. “In Vegas I try to win a few hundred thousand dollars. If I lose a few hundred thousand, I’m still having a good time. There has to be a limit to everything.”
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is probably as well-known for his gambling addiction as for his basketball skills. He is regarded as one of the frequent casino patrons in history. The night before a game versus the Kicks, the basketball player once placed a $165,000 wager.
Antoine Walker
By far the most famous basketball player who loved gambling was Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.
Another casino buff, who may not be forgotten, was NBA champion Antoine Walker, the 2005/2006 Miami Heat champion.
The basketball player once owed a casino over $800,000, which he didn’t have. After police arrived, Walker was arrested and declared bankruptcy.
Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez, a former New York Mets player, is also known for his passion for casinos. The baseball player was photographed with Phil Hellmuth at an underground club in New York.
John Daly
Finally, we can’t forget about John Daly. The popular golfer has become famous for several scandals, as well as his gambling addiction. In 2016, Daley claimed to have lost around $57m in his lifetime.
It all started with his victory at a golf tournament in San Francisco, where he won $750,000. But soon the golfer lost about $1.65 million on slot machines in Las Vegas. He said he used to be able to play seven blackjack hands at a time, betting up to $15,000 per game.
Art Schlichter
The promising quarterback could have built a great career in American football, but ruined it with his gambling addiction.
As early as the mid-1980s, Schlichter accumulated nearly a million dollars in debt due to sports betting. Failing to pay even half of them, the athlete was suspended from participation in the NFL.
In 1987, the football player got into another multi-million dollar gambling scandal and finally closed the doors to professional sports. In 2011, Schlichter was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegal activities.
How athletes’ addiction to gambling is explained
Addiction makes logic, strange as it may sound. Emma Vickers is a specialist in the psychology of competitive athletes. She mentioned that gamblers and athletes have a lot of the same traits. Once they become professionals, they become overconfident since they are accustomed to succeeding. They are intelligent, too. They are drawn to gambling because they possess the same traits that let them thrive in sports. Vickers did research with elite athletes and discovered that they need danger, even for fun.
Phil Hellmuth, who has been spotted at the same tables as Tiger Woods and Michael Giordano, confirmed that both athletes fit the description perfectly. “Tiger and Giordano are comfortable in a competitive environment. They are driven by the desire to win. They won’t agree to lose a dime, even if they were playing for chips.” Helmut has played blackjack with both of them. He describes their gatherings as sitting down with a glass of Louis XIII cognac or 70-year-old scotch. “Both athletes bet high. They can bet $2,500 at a time and play to the end.”But if you’re gambling responsibly, there’s nothing stopping you from playing slots or other games at best Boku casinos.
David Prior
David Prior is the editor of Today News, responsible for the overall editorial strategy. He is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with over 20 years’ experience, and is also editor of the award-winning hyperlocal news title Altrincham Today. His LinkedIn profile is here.
