Famous athletes who like to bet on sports
Online gambling, sports betting in particular, has flourished as an industry all around the planet over the last couple of years. The activity attracts different kinds of people, from a guy next door who likes to throw a few bucks every now and then to passionate punters who make their living out of the pastime. It is thus not hard to understand the connection between athletes and sports betting. The vast majority of people who like sports will/have been attracted by sports wagering at some point. Sports fans like to claim bragging rights among their friends for getting some of their calls right about future matches.
Anyway, we live in an era where online gambling has become a massive industry. The sites like AmericaGambles are the best proof of such a statement. On there, you can find a wide array of betting-related information, including daily picks and advice from some of the best tipsters in the world. Nevertheless, have you ever thought about whether famous athletes enjoy some betting among the other luxurious activities they indulge in.
Placing wagers while you are competing, coaching, or even officiating sports is naturally strictly forbidden. However, famous athletes just can’t resist the temptation of testing their knowledge and predicting skills. We have thus witnessed numerous scandals of distinct proportions regarding the theme. We will not speak about the scandals in this specific article, though. We will rather discuss the top five popular athletes who like to bet on sports. Stay tuned and enjoy the list.
5 - Michael Jordan
The best player in NBA history has allegedly retired earlier than he wanted due to a secret suspension followed by the investigations in regards to his gambling habits. The superstar has lost millions in casinos all over America. One of his most popular losses came in an Atlantic City casino where the former Chicago Bulls guard threw away $165,000 in one evening.
4 - Jaromir Jagr
The Czech superstar was one of the highest-paid NHL players of his era. However, it was apparently not enough for him as the famous hockey player intended to win more by betting at online sportsbooks. According to the reports, Jagr was half a million dollars down at one online operator.
3 - Charles Barkley
The NBA Hall of Famer and the current analyst has never hidden his passion for gambling. Sir Charles liked to play blackjack and place hefty wagers on NFL affairs. He has lost a lot during his non-successful wagering career. At first, Barkley did not regret the losses, claiming that high-stakes betting was not a problem if you could afford it. He changed mentality and approach upon losing millions of bucks and swore off betting five years ago.
2 - Phil Mickelson
Phil has never been known as the biggest bettor in the world of sports. However, his face covered all headlines in the United States when his name popped up during the trial of Billy Walters, a famous gambler. The prosecution revealed evidence of Lefty’s $2 million sports betting debt to Walters. Allegedly, Mickelson can hardly resist placing wagers on golf and pro football.
1 - Floyd Mayweather
Unlike the athletes discussed above, the unbeaten boxing champion actually likes to brag about his wagering wins. He often posts high-stakes tickets to social networks. The Moneymaker has thus revealed a $45,000 win on a $50,000 bet on Colorado State football in September 2017. Five years earlier, he won $1 million by backing Oregon over Arizona State. He bets on football and basketball in massive quantities and just had to claim the top spot in our list.