Top Famous Athletes Who Are Known to Be Casino Players
Sports and gambling have always gone hand-in-hand, with many renowned athletes known for their casino play or high-stakes betting. Whether it's the competitive thrill, the lure of instant winnings, or simply a way to unwind, numerous star athletes have enjoyed casino games and betting. From late-night poker games to massive sports wagers, these athletes' gambling stories span from amusing anecdotes to scandals that altered careers.
In this age of widespread sports betting, fueled by the rapid expansion of legal, digital sportsbooks, online platforms have become central to how people engage with gambling. Sportsbook brands like Batery (or Fbet as it's known) are increasingly appearing on casino-focused platforms, reflecting a growing user demand for integrated, convenient betting experiences. The line between sports and gambling is clearer than ever. Below, we look at several notable cases, categorized by sport, highlighting how even world-class athletes have tried their luck at the casino.
Basketball Legends Try Their Luck
The NBA has seen its share of legendary players who enjoy gambling. Two of the most iconic – Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley – are almost as famous for their casino escapades as for their on-court achievements. Many Zambian players find these stories relatable.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan's competitive spirit didn't stay on the basketball court. The six-time NBA champion developed a well-documented penchant for high-stakes gambling in the 1990s, frequently visiting Atlantic City casinos during the season. In fact, Jordan was seen gambling in Atlantic City the night before a 1993 playoff game, and he later admitted to losing around K198,000 in that period due to his gambling habit. One acquaintance even claimed that Jordan owed K1.5 million from a single golf game bet. Despite the controversies and media attention, Jordan asserted that his gambling never affected his basketball career. His teammates recalled how Jordan would bet on almost anything – from card games to whose luggage would arrive first at the airport – simply to fuel his competitive drive. Such stories, including one about Jordan allegedly losing nearly K6.2 million in one night at a Las Vegas craps table, have only added to his legend. For Jordan, gambling was a source of excitement and competition beyond basketball, and he eventually stated he learned some costly lessons and found balance in his life.
Charles Barkley
A close friend of Jordan, Charles Barkley has been quite open about his gambling escapades – and losses. The NBA Hall of Famer once bluntly stated, “It is a problem for me,” concerning his gambling habit. Barkley estimates that he lost about K12.5 million through gambling over the years, including a staggering K3.1 million lost in just a six-hour blackjack session and another K875,000 during a single Super Bowl weekend. In 2008, the Wynn Las Vegas resort sued Barkley for K500,000 in unpaid gambling markers (casino credit), leading him to publicly pledge to stop gambling on live TV. (He humorously declared, “I’m not going to gamble anymore,” though many doubt he kept that promise.) By some estimates, Barkley’s total gambling losses might even exceed K37.5 million when combining casino games and sports betting. The self-proclaimed “Round Mound of Rebound” has admitted to his addiction but also mentioned that he enjoys gambling and has tried to manage it. Barkley’s honesty about losing significant amounts of money – and continuing to return to the blackjack tables – shows how even affluent, successful athletes can find it difficult to walk away from the casino's thrill.
Soccer Stars in the Casino Spotlight for Zambian Bettors
Gambling isn't limited to American sports – it's a global pastime affecting football (soccer) athletes too. One of England's most famous footballers, Wayne Rooney, offers a cautionary tale, while other international stars have also been known to participate in betting.
Wayne Rooney
As a teenage phenom and later captain of Manchester United and England, Wayne Rooney earned a fortune on the pitch – and he wagered large sums off of it. By his mid-20s, Rooney’s gambling on football, horse racing, and casino games had already made tabloid headlines.
Gambling Debt and Losses
In his early 20s, he reportedly accumulated about £700,000 in gambling debt through betting with a bookmaker who was a friend of a teammate. Stories emerged that Rooney once lost £65,000 within just two hours at a Manchester casino, illustrating how rapidly things could get out of hand. By age 25, Rooney was said to have gambled away nearly £1 million in total. While he was never disciplined by his team or the league for his betting, the revelations sparked a media frenzy and concern about his well-being. In 2018, Rooney himself admitted publicly that his gambling had become a serious problem during his career and that it even affected his personal life at times. He expressed regret and has since sought to control his habits. Rooney’s openness about his struggle helped raise awareness that even top-tier footballers can fall prey to gambling addiction, and it encouraged a more honest conversation about the pressures athletes face. Notably, Rooney’s massive Premier League salary gave him the resources to sustain heavy losses, but it also enabled a habit that could have been ruinous if unchecked.
(Other soccer stars have also flirted with gambling: for instance, Brazilian star Neymar is known for his love of poker, and retired Arsenal legend Paul Merson famously battled a gambling addiction. The culture of soccer in the UK and Europe has often been linked with betting, given the prominence of sportsbook sponsors and betting lounges at stadiums.)
Boxing and Fighting Champions Who Bet Big
In combat sports, where bravado and risk-taking are part of the persona, several champions have embraced high-stakes betting. The most notable is Floyd “Money” Mayweather, whose gambling exploits mirror his flashy lifestyle.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. doesn’t just earn money – he loves to wager it, too. Mayweather is known for placing massive bets on sporting events, often boasting about his wins (and occasional losses) on social media.
Gambling and Sports Betting
His betting slips have shown seven-figure wagers on NFL and NBA games, and he has been spotted frequently in Las Vegas sportsbooks. In one instance, Mayweather reportedly attempted to bet $400,000 on himself before a boxing match (though regulations prevented that bet). While exact figures are hard to verify, anecdotally, “Money” Mayweather once claimed to have won nearly $1 million betting on an NFL game and has hinted at betting upward of $10 million on a single Super Bowl. He’s such a fixture in the gambling world that he recently launched a branded slot machine game and invested in an online casino business to capitalize on his persona. Interestingly, despite his well-known love of betting, Mayweather’s gambling seems mostly focused on sports; he’s said not to be particularly drawn to casino table games or slots. With an estimated net worth of around $500 million, Mayweather treats gambling as just another high-stakes investment or thrill. His example, however, underscores that even when the odds are in your favor (as they often were in the ring), the house can always win in the long run.
(Other combat sports figures have had gambling moments too – for example, UFC star Conor McGregor has been seen courtside at casinos, and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson once admitted to high-stakes betting during his wild years. But none match Mayweather’s public embrace of gambling.)
Golfers and High-Stakes Wagers
Golf might be a gentlemen’s game on the course, but some golfers have been anything but conservative in casinos. Two of the sport’s big names, John Daly and Phil Mickelson, have made nearly as much news off the course for gambling as they have with their golf swings.
John Daly
John Daly, a two-time major champion known as much for his eccentric lifestyle as for his prodigious drives, has openly discussed his gambling addiction. In his autobiography, Daly revealed jaw-dropping figures: over roughly 12 years, he estimates losing between $50 million and $60 million to gambling.
Gambling Losses and Addiction
The charismatic golfer with a flair for risk once won $750,000 as runner-up in a tournament – and immediately flew to Las Vegas, where he lost $1.65 million in less than five hours playing $5,000-per-pull slot machines. Daly has recounted how he would spend days in casinos, at one point gambling for two days straight on a slot binge. “If I don’t get control of my gambling, it’s going to flat-out ruin me,” he admitted in 2006. The revelations prompted the PGA Tour to express concern for his well-being. Daly later said he curbed some destructive behaviors (like alcohol) but “only gambling remains a problem”. Stories of Daly’s casino escapades – from betting thousands per hand at blackjack to once throwing $100 bills off a casino boat for fun – have become part of golf folklore. The good news is that in recent years Daly claims to have imposed limits on himself (like sticking to lower-limit slots) to prevent catastrophic losses. His story is a vivid reminder of how easily a fortune can vanish at the casino, even for a superstar athlete.
The Evolving Relationship Between Athletes and Gambling
In conclusion, the intersection of sports and casino gambling is complex. It has produced colorful stories of late-night casino adventures and Vegas jackpots, but also cautionary tales of addiction, debt, and scandal. Fans continue to be fascinated by the notion of their heroes doubling down on bets away from the game. As sports betting and casino gaming become even more mainstream, the hope is that the next generation of athletes will enjoy gambling responsibly – so their names make headlines for championships won, not fortunes lost.
