Footballers and gambling: athletes’ stories about their passions

Gambling, sports betting, and slot machines are popular pastimes today among football fans and athletes alike. Most of them try not to talk about their hobbies, but there are those who brag about the sums they have left or won within the walls of casinos. Some were indeed lucky enough to hit the jackpot and never come back, while others spent all day in gambling halls or on virtual sites, leaving a fortune. Below we take a look at the top five players who love to gamble.

It’s no secret that Britain is one of the most gambling countries. Not only footballers, but also ordinary residents of the state play slot machines and betting. And if you’re one of those who doesn’t want to play on local sites, preferring foreign establishments with no restrictions, we suggest trying out https://www.nongamstopsites.co.uk/slots-not-on-gamstop/. Plenty of apps with free access, lucrative bonuses, official license and no blocking by ISPs.

1. Wayne Rooney

The former Manchester United captain once admitted in an interview that he was a long-time gambling addict. More often than not, he bet at away games when the team stayed in hotels for 7-10 days. The only occupation during those moments was precisely gambling machines or bookmaking bets. The player made his first predictions anonymously over the phone, but after a few successful wins, he started betting regularly. Rumour has it that he lost over £60,000 in one night in a Manchester hotel. Over time, Wayne was able to control this predilection, and later abandoned it altogether. Now the athlete occupies the position of head coach in the Derby County team.

2. Paul Merson

The legendary footballer, twice champion of England, Football League Cup and FA Cup winner. Spent most of his stellar career at Arsenal. After his contract expired, he moved to Middlesbrough before finishing his career at Walsall and is now its head coach. He didn’t play many games in the national team, but distinguished himself with three forgettable goals. During his life Paul suffered from different addictions: drugs, alcohol, gambling. He managed to overcome all these problems, but as he himself admits, he spent more than £6 million during his gambling addiction. Some users even saw Paul Merson promoting a British bookmaker.

3. Joey Barton

There was a whole betting drama surrounding this player. Joey was a first class footballer whose professional career began at Manchester City. After five years for the sky-blues, his game took a downturn and a change of football clubs began. While playing for Burnley, it came to light that Barton had been betting for several years, including on his own games, which is forbidden for footballers to do. As a result, he was disqualified for a short period and afterwards no club dared to take him on as a player, even on loan. That was the end of the stellar play of the English midfielder, who had shown great promise for the national team.

4. Phil Bardsley

The fact that Phil Bardsley likes to gamble would not have been known had it not been for an unfortunate photograph in 2012 of him lying on the casino floor, strewn with cash notes. The British defender, then playing for Sunderland, where he had spent most of his career, scored the decisive goal against Southampton. After his landmark win, Phil decided to celebrate with his friends and headed to a nearby casino. During the game, the footballer had a few too many cocktails and laid down on the floor of the place, covering himself with the money he had won. One of the paparazzi filmed the moment, and in the morning, the front page of the newspaper was already full of news about it.

5. Gianluigi Buffon

The former Juventus and Italy goalkeeper is not just known for his incredible saves, but also for his love of poker. He was even suspected of corruptly betting €1.5million in 2006. It would have been a career-ending case, and it could have meant the Italian national team would be without their goalkeeper at the World Cup. Those charges were later dropped for lack of tangible evidence. Buffon now plays for Italian side Parma, but not as brilliantly as before. The goalkeeper’s passion for poker has been so well known that a major poker organisation, Poker Stars, have signed a contract with him. Gigi has made no secret of his gambling addiction, visiting the bookmakers and casinos at every opportunity.

You don’t have to be a professional sportsman with big earnings to enjoy gambling. You can play online casinos with small stakes using no deposit bonuses. The main thing is not to follow in the footsteps of many football players who have been blown away by large amounts of money. Gambling can be addictive, so it’s best to play with small breaks for your own pleasure. Otherwise you could end up like Paul Merson, losing a fortune on betting.