6 Football Players Who Love To Gamble
Introduction: 6 Football Players Who Love To Gamble
It’s no surprise that football players like to gamble. Perhaps being a sportsman goes hand in hand with being prepared to take a risk. But there’s certainly no shortage of sporting icons who like to have a flutter. From earning ridiculous wages beyond the dreams and counting abilities of mere mortals, it’s probably no surprise that when some do start betting, it leads down a road of mad-hat bets and bankruptcy. English footballers, in particular, have faced their fair share of ridicule for their betting habits which include betting on their own matches. What might otherwise remain a small weekend punt for regular folks, goes through the roof if your football club income can support it.
Some of the most famous sports bettors who were also on the other end of millions of bets were the Irish footballer, George Best, and the player/manager Paul Merson. In some ways, they are the poster boys of how a promising career can take a massive dive and end up in the mud. And though you might imagine that the football players of today might be a bit sharper when it comes to sports betting, your assumption is sadly misplaced. So let’s have a look at some of the more famous faces from football, along with their betting habits.
Gambling Football Players: Cristiano Ronaldo
The Series A player is world renowned for his skills on the pitch. Having previously been Real Madrid’s top scorer, as well as being one of Manchester United’s most famous faces, he has always liked a flutter. Before fame came a-calling, Cristiano liked nothing more than getting together with a group of mates on a Friday evening and playing a few rounds of poker. He was quite a good player and his friends were used to being beaten on virtually every occasion they met up. Such was his passion for the game, that the US brand, PokerStars picked him to be one of their “brand ambassadors” for a couple of years.
During this period, he played and won several exhibition games against other PokerStars celebrities. And every time he wins, he donates all the winnings to charity.
Joey Barton
In some ways, there’s nothing good or wholesome about this story, especially after reading about Ronaldo’s betting for fun and charity. Joey Barton represents all that can go pear-shaped if you lose your tenuous grip on gambling addiction. Having played for Burnley, Barton had the makings of a great Premier League career. But behind the facade of a decent player was a man out of control when it came to betting. The EFA had to listen to his stories of having bet illegally throughout 1,200 wagers on football, including many on games he was involved in, between 2006 to 2013. Of course, there was no other option but of a total ban from playing.
Then in 2017, in trying to win another football jackpot, Barton received another 18-month ban for the same crime. You can’t bet on games you’re involved with. Duh!
Gambling Football Players; Philip Bardsley
If you’re going to play football at the top professional league level, then you need to understand that past a certain point, you will become an example for all those young boys with the same dream. Yes, it does mean that a lot of your private life is given up. But hopefully, it’s for the greater good, as you are influencing kids as an example of the best of the best. So think of poor Philip Bardsley. He was a great defender and was something of a defense star during the Premier League season of 2012/13. But his star went out after photos emerged of him, unconscious on the floor of a casino.
He’d toured the casinos to win the jackpot but ended up lying drunk, covered in £50 notes. As you can imagine the tabloids had a field day. Unfortunately for him, his teammates lost respect for him. As did the general public. He was fired from Southampton by the team’s manager, on the spot, on the same day the story appeared. He would of fared better if he’d stuck with trying to win the jackpot online. We recommend 22Bet Sportsbook as our go-to site. They have a great selection of games as well as a nice welcome bonus.
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Francesco Totti
Seen as a God in football-crazy Italy, Totti was the former captain of the national side as well as a top striker for Roma. He was the top goal scorer in the history of the club and was also the oldest goalscorer in the history books of the UEFA Champions League. Apart from being one of the most respected names of all football players throughout Italy, since his retirement in 2006, he has taught acting, football and even poker. Yes, he’s good at the game of poker. So much so, that PokerStars approached him to become one of their brand ambassadors. This led to his face being all over Italy as part of the PokerStars publicity campaign.
Gambling Football Players: Dominic Matteo
After a great run with both Liverpool and Stoke City, he moved on to Leeds. As their captain, he had to shoulder a huge responsibility as Leeds is much more than a football club. Being the captain of Leeds was unimaginable pressure, as the club had recently suffered a league demotion, and the whole city was feeling depressed. Unfortunately, his time at the top coincided with the onset of terrible gambling addiction. As one of the best-paid football players, at first, he could afford his betting habit. But, as with all addictions, things gradually moved beyond his control. He famously lost £100,000 on a horse, only to win it back later in another race that same afternoon.
But as the gambling intensified, so did his losses. He was betting over seven figures during a single year. And he even gambled away the inheritance he’s put to one side, years previously, for his daughter. But since those desperate times, Matteo has got help for his addiction. He now tours the country, highlighting gambling addiction and helping those suffering from it to seek help.
Giggi Buffon
This Italian national side goalkeeper has forever been in trouble over his exuberant gambling habits. Gambling has only bought trouble and drama into the picture. Nothing good. He’s been investigated numerous times over his links to illegal gambling rings and sports betting fraud. In 2006, he, along with 4 other Italian players was questioned about their involvement with betting fraud. In 20012, he was again hauled in for questioning over more suspicious jackpot winning strategies. Once again, the subject was betting fraud. He had made a bank transaction of €1.5m to a betting shop. Somehow, the charges were dropped and he was declared to be innocent.
It turns out that the record of this massive bet was lost. Furthermore, there could be no record found of him actually placing this bet. Interestingly enough, the exact amount showed up in his bank statements as an order for 20 Rolex watches!
Conclusion: Football Players Who Love To Gamble
With betting on football receiving new blood thanks to live betting, it’s no surprise that there’s some sort of hidden agenda between the sport and its football players. Keep in mind that today’s football players earn as much in a week as most people earn in a lifetime. As they often don’t come from a background of money, then they’re liable to fall into all the usual tricks needed to make money off of them. The fact that they are young, famous, and rich with all eyes on them where ever they go, only adds to the pressure to throw money away. They might be better off sticking with online sports betting. Especially with a site like 22Bet Sportsbook.
Having said that, we were happy to find examples like the football players Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Balotelli, who play poker to pay their way as philanthropists. Good for them!
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