It’s not just average Joes who get a kick out of putting their hard-earned money on the line; plenty of superstar athletes have dabbled in gambling of one kind or another.
Here are just a handful of iconic figures from the world of sport who’ve had the guts, and the disposable income, to make waves in casinos.
Floyd Mayweather Jr:
As the biggest earner in the world of entertainment, Mayweather is more than capable of bankrolling his habit of wagering massive sums on the outcome of sporting events.
When he’s not flying around in private jets with piles of cash on display, this living legend is taking criticism from rivals about the amount he spends to fuel his love of gambling.
Since he generates hundreds of millions of dollars in the ring, as well as through branding and endorsement deals, Mayweather can be forgiven for his extravagant lifestyle, including his high stakes antics.
Michael Jordan:
Millions of people wanted to be Michael Jordan when he was in his prime as a basketball player, but the allure of his lifestyle hasn’t really faded over the years. He’s a high roller and is often seen in land-based casinos in the US, playing hands of blackjack and poker. If Jordan was still actively gambling nowadays, we’d be confident he’d be taking his gambling habit to the internet, perhaps via an NJ Online Casino, one of the few states that allows online gameplay in the US.
Another area in which Jordan lets his passion for placing bets shine is the normally sedate sport of golf. He’s a keen player himself, but rather than taking on his pals in friendly rounds, he’s known to put $100,000 on the line for a single hole.
Charles Barkley:
Leading neatly on from Michael Jordan, Barkley was once one of his closest comrades and is also renowned for his gambling history. He can put most punters to shame with bets that are high enough to make your eyes water.
This basketball icon has freely admitted to shelling out almost $30 million over the years while gambling. That counterbalances the estimated $10 million he’s won at the tables in Vegas.
Although he’s had a few brief stints of steering clear of betting altogether, Barkley has not gone completely cold turkey. The fact that he can wager hundreds of thousands of dollars, lose it all and not feel the sting of the loss is a luxury only super rich sports icons can afford.
John Daly:
Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley just play golf for fun, but John Daly is a seasoned pro and a big personality in the sport. He’s also copped to some whopping gambling spending, having won $45 million and lost $98 million.
To put that in some context, he’s parted ways with more cash on his hobby of choice than the vast majority of the world’s top professional golfers have won in their entire careers.
Daly tends to favor slot machines, having pumped over $1.5 million into a single machine in Vegas back in 2005. Easy come, easy go, when you’re making half a million for a few swings on the green.
Tiger Woods:
Another golfer who’s happy to put big money on blackjack, Woods has been a staple of many major casinos in Vegas over the years.
Experts believe that part of the reason behind some sports icons embracing gambling so wholeheartedly is because they spend their whole professional lives calculating risk and reward. This gives them a taste for the kind of action that can be found when placing bets, as this is equivalent to the emotional swings they get from victories and losses out on the field.
