Soccer, or football for the vast majority of us, is known as the King of Sports, bringing billions of people together to cheer on their favorite teams on screen and in person.
Additionally, there are a lot of soccer fans who gamble money to satisfy their soccer addiction. They do this to show support for the team and hope to profit.
Millions of people around the world enjoy gambling as a pastime. Whether you are a casual or serious person, there is something to please everyone. As soccer grows in popularity, online gambling is no surprise to a lot of athletes.
Fast cars, huge mansions, and vast sums of money are often mentioned when describing the life of a soccer player. The athletes, however, can become addicted to gambling and stay in the spotlight for a few years.
Because you can't tell who's playing at a casino online or FanDuel Casino slots, many players prefer to use this method. While many of these players prefer privacy, many share their favorite way to gamble, so let's take a look at some well-known soccer players who love gambling.
Cristiano Ronaldo
There’s hardly a person that doesn’t know this player for his fantastic scoring skills and numerous awards. He’s not just known as a football player but also as a gambler among other things. His game of choice is poker, where he shows plenty of skill.
His preferred title is no surprise as both poker and football take focus and determination. These are things that Ranaldo displays on and off the pitch. He’s even played against poker professionals like Patrick Antonius multiple times and is in a couple of poker commercials.
Dominic Matteo
Dominic Matteo is known as one of the most famous gambling addicts in football history. Having played for Liverpool as a defender, he also developed a gambling addiction that landed him in debt of well over half a million euros. Due to the habit, he declared bankruptcy. For a single horse bet, he admittedly spent over 60 thousand euros.
At the time, gambling regulation wasn't as protective of players and irresponsible gambling as today on most land-based and in any reputable casino online. Post addiction, he decided to show up in his biography known as “In my Defence”, with a touching confession of gambling's effects on his family.
Although he was a gambling addict, he still aims to help others around him to prevent committing the mistakes he did.
Gianluigi Buffon
Buffon is another lover of poker and spends a lot of his spare time making wagers and getting huge wins. He loves to play soccer and gamble online, which is why it’s no surprise that he’s a recognized goalkeeper and ambassador of PokerStars. You’ll even find him starring in various adverts for poker.
He’s gotten into trouble before for his gambling habits. Once in 2006 and another time in 2012, he was interrogated for illegal gambling activities, but all charges were dropped in both cases.
Paul Merson
Paul Merson is one of the famous gambling addicts, well-known as a former midfielder for the English National Team. He struggled to quit drugs and alcohol when it all went out of control, unfortunately discovering that gambling was an even more challenging addiction.
He decided to go to a rehab center when he had to give away his home because he couldn't afford the bills. He found himself in deep debt after losing nearly 8 million euros in gambling. In many interviews, he spoke about his substance abuse, depression, and casinos.
He has finally managed to maintain a balanced, positive, and healthy lifestyle at the age of 51.
Joey Barton
This former footballer is known for his controversies as much as he’s known for his soccer skills. He’s always been open about his gambling and has admitted that he loves sports betting. While other players tend to enjoy card and table games, Barton is one of the fewer players that prefer betting that’s closer to his profession.
Now this is nothing illegal and even betting on other sports is perfectly ok, but professional players can’t bet on their sport. This is where Barton went wrong and ran into many legal problems that eventually led to his retirement from the sport.
Winning On and Off the Pitch
The increasing popularity of gambling has led to more football players competing in and representing the industry. A number of top soccer players are keen on betting as a fun hobby, while others are using it as a way to take their careers to the next level. Though it may have caused some legends trouble, it's still a great way for these athletes to display their skills in a different field.
There has always been a gambling addiction problem among soccer players. Soccer players' addictions can be overcome by rehabs too, so you can too. If you are concerned about this issue, please seek professional help to address compulsive gambling.
