New Year, New Me? Nope, I’ll continue wagering on the most significant sports events in 2023 to ensure my financial freedom, no matter how many people tell me I have a problem.
The same can be said for some of the world’s most famous sports stars who love to sprinkle at the sportsbook and casinos. Today I’m taking a closer look at my top five celebrity gamblers covering the spread.
GOATs to Gamblers
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
Dear Ronaldo,
Can you save some for the rest of us?
This man makes me sick. He’s taken all the social media followers – over 530 million to be exact – and is the most followed person on the internet as a result. He’s won almost every soccer award imaginable while stealing the hearts of all our women, and now, he’s beating us at poker.
While he’s an official member of the PokerStars team and has been spotted competing in several poker events, it’s also rumored that Ronaldo loves to dabble in a sports wager or two. Nothing is confirmed, but we’re positive he wagered on France to beat Argentina in the World Cup final.
Viva Messi!
2. Shaquille O’Neal
Shaq is a larger-than-life personality for a multitude of reasons. Yes, he’s 7-foot-1-inch, and his feet are disgustingly big. You know what they say about big feet, right? Big socks! Well, the reality is, we’re sure he had to tape down that massive hog before jumping around the basketball court during his heyday, but that’s neither here nor there.
Shaq also has a big gambling problem and once admitted to placing $1 million on a sports wager, and although he didn’t confirm which team he wagered on, the bet was a winner!
Let me reiterate, Shaq has a great gambling hobby. That word, “problem,” yuck, haters!
3. Charles Barkley
From one NBA superstar to another, Charles Barkley is an avid gambler, and I love his attitude.
Barkley once said: “Losing money is a formality.“
Yes, Charles! Who cares about losing money? Not everything can go to plan. That’s an excellent way to approach the sportsbook – who cares if I lose this month’s rent?
I guess it’s easy to have this attitude when you once won $700,000 from blackjack and Super Bowl predictions in one weekend.
Joking aside, I understand his sentiment, and it’s probably the most positive way to view sports betting and casino gambling. We can’t control everything, and so long as you’re sensible with your money, accepting the consequences is a part of the game.
4. Floyd Mayweather
I’m going to slander one of the most successful boxers in history; he’ll likely struggle to read this anyway.
Sorry, Floyd, cheap pop. But I’ll tell you something that isn’t cheap, Floyd Mayweather’s sports betting expenditure. The boxing legend is no stranger to placing bets and has often hacked away at his $500 million career earnings while posting his ventures on social media.
Code Block
What we love about Mayweather’s sports betting venture is that he evidently bets against his foes. After posting a $30,000 win following Dmitry Bivol’s success over Canelo Alvarez, he also posted a $35,000 winning bet slip after backing Dustin Poirier to beat Conor McGregor.
However, he reminds me of those annoying handicappers on Twitter; we rarely see Floyd posting his losing bet slips. But a $130,000 win after betting $200,000 on the Green Bay Packers to beat the San Francisco 49ers back in 2020, of course, he posted this.
We want to see your tracked record Floyd; until then, you are nothing but a scammer, sir.
5. Michael Jordan
It’s no surprise the NBA presents some of the strictest betting rules of any professional sports organization when Michael Jordan was rumored to have left the NBA because of his gambling-related issues.
Jordan has been open about his gambling addiction; if you haven’t seen The Last Dance on Netflix, it’s a juicy one.
I can speculate all day long regarding the GOATs’ off-court activities, but I don’t really care, and we’ll never hear the complete truth anyway. Jordan remains the most recognizable name in basketball, and If he wants to piss away his hundreds of millions on poor gambling decisions, that’s his prerogative.
The mindset of No.23 is clear to see. Another losing bet? Fuck it, let’s release another pair of Nike Jordans.
