Footballers Who Love a Gamble
There is a lot of stress that comes with being an elite athlete – always being in the public eye and being left unable to do many of the ordinary things that entertain us day-to-day. There is also a type of warrior personality and edge it takes to make it at the highest level of any sport, it’s easy to understand why quite a few of the game’s most famous players enjoy a gamble in their time off. If you enjoy a gamble yourself and you’re keen to test out some new games, check out these online slot reviews here.
Mario Balotelli
The Italian maverick, famed for his outlandish behaviour just as much as he is for his football. It comes as no surprise Super Mario loves a gamble. Mario Balotelli been known to enjoy playing poker, roulette, and online slots. He’s been spotted many times at casinos throughout his career. In fact, it’s an established fact that Mario spent over $200,000 on gambling in just one year.
He’s also known to be rather generous when it comes to his winnings though, handing out huge tips to those facilitating the games and even giving a homeless person £1,000 after winning big one night.
Gianluigi Buffon
Another Italian and well-known gambler in the football world. The Italian star has been a huge fan of gambling for most of his career, he enjoys betting on a variety of sports, including basketball and F1 amongst other sports. He’s also been known to enjoy playing casual poker, online casino games like blackjack, slots, and roulette in his free time.
He was embroiled in controversy in 2006, Buffon was reportedly engaged in illegal wagers to the tune of over 1.5 million euros ($1.8 million). Ultimately, he was cleared of all charges and went on to lead Italy to being World Cup winners that year. It also had no effect on his love of gambling.
Neymar
The Brazilian superstar has been known to play online slots, poker, and even bingo. Poker is his biggest passion in gambling though, commenting after being announced as cultural ambassador to Pokerstars, Neymar said: ‘Poker is so much more than just the game. It is a community and a culture and that is what I love about it.’
The Brazilian is known to be surrounded by a large group of childhood friends, they all allegedly enjoy the Paris nightlife and have been known to throw all-hours poker games. These games became infamous at one point when Neymar was under fire in the French Press.
The Brazilian has more than earned his money, it’s his right to enjoy it how he pleases and his love for gambling has remained strong. He has participated in some big Las Vegas competitions over the past couple of years.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Perhaps the greatest player of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, is known to be a huge lover of gambling. Particularly roulette, blackjack, and online slots. He’s played at various online casinos over the years and has taken trips all over the world to gamble in some of the most famous casinos – he’s known to have a particular fondness for Las Vegas, taking many trips there over the years.
Why do Footballers Seem to Love Gambling?
There are many cases of huge footballers enjoying a gamble, there is a huge pressure that comes with being a world-famous sports star and everyone needs to find a way to unwind. It seems the choice for quite a few of them is gambling.
In a modern age where you can play anything from free social casino games and sweepstakes casinos to traditional play-for-money online casinos. There is an abundance of choice and fun to be had. It’s not hard to see the attraction.
