Gambling among Soccer Celebrities: Why They Engage in Casino Entertainment

May 20, 2022 by Staff

Footballers are extremely rich people. They devote the majority of their time to training and improving playing skills. Celebrity athletes love to allocate millions on a variety of entertainment, including the purchase of expensive real estate, jewellery, and gambling.

How come rich athletes spend money on casinos? Do they want to earn more? Are they doing it for emotions? The experts of the 2wpower.com platform decided to analyze the most famous experiences of soccer players in gaming halls.

Ronaldo’s Retirement

The gambling industry becomes appealing to athletes due to its excitement and a strong surge of emotions, comparable to playing on a pitch. This is the reason a lot of sports stars are drawn to casino games.

World-renowned Brazilian Ronaldo (Luís Nazário de Lima), who retired in 2011, excelled in online poker. The athlete shows incredible results and wins various tournaments on proven internet resources.

In 2015, Ronaldo signed a long-term agreement with PokerStars. Since then, he can often be found in online lobbies and live tournaments, being passionate about gambling activity.

Infamous Super Mario

Balotelli has positioned himself as one of the most controversial footballers in history. While showing impressive playing results, he also used to have a bad temper outside the field.

Mario is famous for his special love for gambling. The ex-Manchester City player was a frequent visitor to the casino and could spend huge amounts there. At the same time, his victories were also frequent, underlying his knowledge of the activity.

In one of the casinos in London, he was lucky to win $30 thousand. In order to celebrate, he visited one of the local pubs, where he bought everyone drinks, spending more than $1,000. His passion for gambling is rather a distraction and a way to entertain himself outside the pitch.

Private Detective for Barcelona

Sometimes, coaches had to interfere with players’ love of casino activities due to distraction from their main job. This is what once happened with Barcelona and Spain centre-back Gerard Piqué who has achieved the pinnacle of his football career.

In his 600 matches (by March 2022), he has registered an impressive 410 victories and 30 titles for the club, which includes:

  1. 8 LaLiga titles;
  2. 3 UEFA Champions League trophies;
  3. 7 Copa del Rey victories;
  4. 6 Spanish Super Cup winnings;
  5. 3 UEFA Super Cups;
  6. 3 FIFA Club World Cups;
  7. 1 World Cup triumph;
  8. 1 European Championship victory.

There are no major tournaments that Piqué would not submit to. This is probably why he visits casinos — to find new emotions.

When Barcelona was managed by Josep Guardiola, a lot of complaints were filed against the player due to his gambling passion. The coach even hired a private detective to monitor the athlete. After the investigation, it was revealed that other players also visited casinos, including Deco and even Ronaldinho.

Fighter on the Pitch and in the Hall

A frequent guest of British casinos is the former best goalscorer of the English Premier League Jamie Vardy. The Leicester superstar plays poker almost every weekend. The celebrity claims that this is the way he can get rid of stress. While it is scientifically true and can be a justification for the lost thousands, Vardy’s experience raises some doubts.

In 2015, Jamie got into a conflict on racial background with one of his opponents in the game. The casino managers were forced to call the police for safety measures. Subsequent apologies came from Vardy but remained a bad spot in his career.

English Tradition

Michael Owen believes that playing in online casinos or gambling establishments is one of the national habits, especially for footballers. He believes that almost all famous soccer players participate in different manifestations of entertainment.

Other renowned footballers that are engaged in gambling:

  1. Neymar Jr.
  2. David Beckham.
  3. Gigi Buffon.
  4. Lionel Messi.
  5. Cristiano Ronaldo.
  6. Wayne Rooney.
  7. Roy Carroll.

It is also assumed that over the last decade, football players have lost in casinos an amount that is close to the fortune of billionaires.

Psychology of Celebrity Gambling

Maximum concentration is required on the field. An athlete is in constant tension, ensuring he does not let his team down. During gambling, on the contrary, it is possible to relax, reveal all emotions, and win prizes as a bonus. Such unwinding is necessary to maintain a healthy psyche in conditions of increased responsibility.

Being a soccer player also introduces certain advantages during the casino visit. Such sportsmen can calculate opponents’ combinations, think tactically, and take into account various options similar to how they do it on the pitch.

If you are willing to set up a casino platform and potentially become a preferred gaming destination for famous soccer players, you can inquire about turnkey possibilities at 2WinPower. The aggregator offers wholesome assistance in the organization as well as subsequent management of the site.

More details can be found at customer support of the company.