Most of us tend to place bets from time to time, so it's no surprise that there are many football players out there who just like to gamble. Whether they are staying in traditional or modern establishments, some of the biggest and most prominent players enjoy nothing more than a bet on the outcome of a horse race, a match, or even a spin of the roulette wheel. Here are some of the most famous football players who gamble. We're sure you'll be delighted to know more about the top five footballers who share your passion after reading the list of famous footballers who like to play a hand or two on poker, online casino games, and more.
Gianluigi Buffon
© ReutersEven Italian greatest footballers suffer from many unpleasant stereotypes, and numerous match-fixing scandals have not helped its reputation at all. The Italians like sports betting so much that the addiction concerns stars like the Juventus goalkeeper and the Italian national team Gianluigi Buffon.
The goalkeeper was twice suspected of illegal gambling activities - before the 2006 World Cup and in 2012 when it was reported about bets totaling €1.5 million. Subsequently, Buffon was found not guilty, but he himself never hid his passion for gambling, and even served as a PokerStars ambassador for a while. You can always check reviews to find the best casino online to make your own predictions and score a big win.
Interestingly, in 2019, when he was a veteran of 41, leading bookmakers have opened the betting line for the prediction of the living legend's next move. One of them has published quotes for the transfer of the Italian gate guard gambler. The most likely option, according to them, was to move from Paris Saint Germain to Parma, where Buffon began his stellar career. Whoever placed a slip with odds of 2.50 could score a big win since this was a correct guess.
Tony Adams
© ReutersIt was hard to imagine the London's Arsenal of the second half of the 80s and all the 90s of the last century without Tony Adams. The lanky Briton was one of the pillars of the Gunners' defense. But outside the field, Adams is known from a completely different side. As an alcoholic, Adams even went to jail for drunk driving. Arsenal's new coach, Arsene Wenger, helped his center-back break his addiction to the best of his ability.
Adams' other passion was gambling, although he was not such a good poker player. The footballer invested a lot in sports betting, on a roulette table, and by playing poker, and lost a lot. The bookmakers took away a large part of his salary. After finishing his career, Tony Adams opened a clinic for addicts to alcohol and gambling.
According to him, 70% of athletes are treated in his institution precisely for gambling addiction, while the players of the lower leagues drown stress in a glass the old-fashioned way. Adams knows first-hand what a passion for sports and casino games is, now he wants the patients of his clinic to curb their demons.
Wayne Rooney
© ReutersManchester United is one of the most titled and most popular football clubs in Britain in the world. They are not only popular, but they also earn decent fees. So, in 2008, well-known to all fans, Wayne Rooney lost 65,000 pounds in poker in just two hours. Then he flew with the England national team from Minsk to Manchester late at night and, taking advantage of the absence of his wife, went to the next-door venue.
Rooney also wagered at maximum rates in blackjack and almost constantly lost. He took all the losses quite easily, and in the end, he went to play roulette. However, he was also unlucky, and by the time the venue closed, the Man Utd player had already lost a whopping 65,000 pounds. From this point of view, Rooney lost his salary in a couple of days but also earned his place among the top 5 gamblers and footballers who love to place real money wagers on card games.
By the way, the former mentor of the club, Sir Alex Fergusson, completely pays no attention to what his own English Diego Maradona loves. He only cares about the legitimate side of this hobby, so he intervened only a couple of times, warning guards not to let young footballers under 18 years old enter the establishment. Reviews of a legit online casino will surely help you have a better gaming experience, just like Rooney had.
David Bentley
Having started his career at Arsenal, England-born David Bentley later played for several British clubs, and even spent a year in the Russian Premier League, playing 12/13 for Rostov. Passionate about his game, he also had a passion for betting, confessing that he made his first bet at the young age of 14 with football loved gambling in the same ratio.
After his football career took off, he used his growing fortune to place poker bets, horse racing bets, and events like Blackjack and Baccarat. Eventually, his interest in pro gambling became an addiction, but with the support of his beloved girlfriend, he overcame the problem and appeared at the European Poker Tour.
Roy Carroll
Goalkeeper Roy Carroll once showed great promise and now concludes the list of top 5 famous footballers. He hoped to convert them to Manchester United, where he moved from Wigan in 2001. But, faced with competition from the charismatic Fabien Barthez, Carroll was somewhat lost. Perhaps this is where he discovered a passion for gambling. Carroll played a lot trying to become a prominent European poker player and lost a lot.
After spending several years as an eternal stunt double with the Mancunians, he moved to West Ham. There he continued to play and was said to drink a lot, which apparently football players love. The unlucky goalkeeper's favorite pastimes were horse racing, sportsbooks, and the lottery. He once lost thirty thousand pounds on a club bus to a teammate, although Roy himself denies this. Without becoming the main goalkeeper of the Hammers, Carroll began to settle down with less eminent clubs. And for a snack...
Conclusion
Many well known footballers enjoy gambling. Unfortunately, we often talk about uncontrolled addiction and not always pleasant consequences of their habits. Why are famous footballers literally taken over by gambling? Firstly, they often experience stressful situations in sports, after which they want to recoup in another area. Also, athletes are distinguished by a high level of energy, a passion for competition, and a thirst for victory. In their professional activities, they are accustomed to constant rivalry and adrenaline, so they look for it outside of work. On the other side of the spectrum of gambler football players, there are the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo who never play casino games but are social media stars and role models of a different kind.Surely, among the stars and top players, there are those who like to have fun in different establishments. This is not surprising, because at the very core of any sport is the spirit of competition, which gives a lot of new emotions and charges with new energy. That is why the best footballers love to have fun in gaming clubs and casinos.
