7 Top Football Players Who Gamble

There are plenty of football players who gamble either on the amateur or professional level. Some athletes are dedicated to card games, while others prefer betting on sports. Anyway, interest in gambling unites them all, so take a look at 7 most famous footballers who like to risk their money. From Ronaldo to Buffon – you will be surprised by the full list!

Gambling is equally popular among common individuals and world celebrities. The latter usually are even more frequent casino visitors for a number of reasons, from bigger incomes to attempts to fill the void outside of working hours. Whatever is the motivation, it is a fact that these footballers spend millions on gambling, sports betting, and all possible kinds of wagering money. Let’s see who they are.

Gerard Pique is surprisingly good at poker

Gerard Pique is talented not only as a footballer but also as a poker player. The Barcelona star likes poker and never misses a chance to win money at online gambling sites in the UK. One of the most memorable events took place last year and immediately put Pique on the list of football players who gamble and do it successfully.

In 2019, Barcelona hosted the European Tour Poker – one of the biggest local poker tournaments. Pique decided to participate together with his teammate Vidal. They took part in a €25,000 High Roller 1-day event, where Pique finished second! The player managed to win €352,950, while Vidal ended up in the top-5. Apart from last year’s game, Gerard finished 3rd and 5th in 2011 and 2017 correspondingly. He also took part in the World Series of Poker but didn’t win anything.

Ronaldo has been playing poker professionally

Another poker fan was found in Brazil. Ronaldo, Real Madrid legend, is one of the football players who gamble at an advanced level. The 43-years-old player was deep into gambling after his retirement from football. In particular, Ronaldo played poker and once even managed to win around €40.000 in one of the tournaments. The other Ronaldo, by the way, is the “younger version” of the Brazilain superstar. Cristiano also plays poker and is a poker ambassador. Check Bet365 Casino to play poker online with the best terms.

Rooney is among football players who gamble

Wayne Rooney’s name is the newest on the list of gamblers. The 34-years-old player hit the newspaper headlines at the beginning of 2020 when he revealed he had an addiction in the early going. According to Rooney, he has been gambling since the 2000s but wasn’t as lucky on the table as on the field. The Man Utd star even earned a debt of £700,000 once but managed to deal with it, luckily for him. 

Betting on horses, greyhounds, football, and other sports were among Rooney’s interests. He was also rumored to play casino games like poker and slots, but this information wasn’t confirmed by the player himself. Nowadays, Rooney prefers to stay away from gambling, though his income is still big enough to risk. By 2020, Wayne Rooney’s net worth is £160 million.

David Bentley has been a gambler since 14

Another English footballer David Bentley, who played for Blackburn Rovers, used to gamble as a teen. The 35-years-old former winger revealed that he has been gambling since 14. At this age, Bentley first visited a betting office to wager money on something and really loved it. He bet on horses, football, dog races, poker, and some other gambling games. According to Bentley, the bigger his income was, the more he gambled. However, David stopped wagering in the middle of his career as he wanted to focus on football more than gambling. This was a wise and mature decision, wasn’t it?

Dominic Matteo has been gambling for a while

A former Scottish football player Dominic Matteo was a compulsive gambler years ago. In 2011, Liverpool and Leeds United star revealed he had been addicted to gambling and lost big money. He wrote about his experience in his book In My Defence. In particular, losing £100.000 on horse betting at once was one of the biggest Matteo losses. He admitted that his careless gambling was a result of boredom and cool-minded wagering could make things better. Anyway, football players don’t have to bet at all, according to Matteo’s words.

If you are not a football player or manager, you can check online sportsbooks in the UK for sports bets.

Francesco Totti was a poker ambassador

Italian former footballer Francesco Totti is a big fan of poker. The Roma FC star has never been playing poker professionally but is still good at it. He even became an ambassador of one of the poker sites in 2010. In one of his interviews, Totti compared poker to football as both of them require the same skills: dedication, intelligence, and passion. As of 2020, the Italian footballer still stays loyal to gambling games.

Buffon is one of the football players who gamble

Another Italian football legend Gianluigi Buffon was a fan of gambling years ago. The 42-years-old Juventus goalkeeper bet on sports in the 2000s and was even under investigation. According to the local regulations, players are not allowed to bet on football in Italy at all. Buffon was suspected to place bets twice – in 2006 and 2012 – but was found innocent. Nevertheless, one of the greatest keepers still enjoys wagering on games. He has even cooperated with some poker sites years ago, which proved Buffon’s interest in gambling.

Check the list of the best goalkeepers today as well.

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