Famous footballers who won large sums in casinos

Casino gambling is not rare among professional footballers. And if you consider top casino gambling regions like Canada, it is actually very common.

Nevertheless, a lot of pro ballers mostly indulge in light and entertaining gambling here and there, mostly as a hobby. Not so many have gone for the jackpot and succeeded.

There might not be a lot, but we’ve taken the liberty to discover the few who have. So without further ado, let’s highlight some of the most famous footballers who have won substantial amounts in casinos.

Gerard Pique

Still considered by many as a Barcelona FC legend, Gerard Pique is one of the most successful and decorated defenders in recent times.

His ten-year career at Barcelona has also placed him in the league of the greatest defenders in history. Going off the pitch, Pique is known to be a regular at the casino tables who win slots deposit bonus.

Gerard is a known poker player and enthusiast, who just happens to be one of the few soccer stars to hit big casino money.

In 2019, Pique co-hosted the European Tour of Poker, usually powered and sponsored by top casino brands, SlotsCity and the likes.

Gerard was also in the competition. He ended up with a second-place finish, bringing his prize money to over CA $392,000.

Despite this win dating several years back, Gerard still walked away with one of the biggest prizes in ETP’s recent history. Let’s look at some of the biggest wins in the history of the European Tour of Poker:

Neymar Jr

Neymar is another football star that needs no introduction. And apparently, his gambling exploits do not require investigation either.

The Brazilian has been very public with his casino gambling, especially with his favorite game, poker. Aside from being an ambassador for certain top Brazilian and Canadian casinos, the former Barcelona forward has been in quite some Poker competitions.

Luckily or otherwise, Neymar is also one of the few to have made some serious money from his time at the casino. Having participated in several PokerStars competitions, his biggest jackpot came at the PokerStars Titans event in 2023. Neymar finished as the runner-up (second place) at the event, which was enough to secure a $66,000 payday.

In all, Neymar has been one active casino guy, off the pitch. Aside from his $66,000 payout, he’s also won significant amounts from other casino games and events he was featured in. Here’s to mention a few:

• World Series of Poker Limit Hold’EM, 2022,
• PokerStars Best of Sharks 2021,
• PokerStars Sponsorship Face-off, 2021.

Mario Balotelli

One of the most controversial footballers of his era, Mario Balotelli surprisingly has a pretty successful football career.

From his time with the Premier League side, Manchester City, to his exploits in Italy Balotelli was definitely something to watch. And as expected Balotelli hasn’t been very covert with his casino gambling efforts.

On several occasions, the Italian has been spotted by the media gambling at casinos in the UK and Italy, where he played, as well as on his Canadian summer trips.

While there are several rumors surrounding Balotelli’s casino wins, there have also been confirmed reports. In 2011, Balotelli won £30,000 from a local casino in Manchester, playing the game of Roulette.

The Italian also reportedly won £25,000 at a neighboring casino in London. These proceeds were all one-takes and not cumulative winnings.

Perhaps the noble part is that Mario always donated some of his winnings to anti-racism foundations throughout his career, having played for quite many clubs. Here’s to name a few

1. Inter Milan, 2007-2010.
2. Manchester City, 2010-2013.
3. Ac Milan, 2013-2014.
4. Liverpool, 2014-2016.

Conclusion

As hinted earlier on, there’s playing for fun and playing to win in casino gambling. And with some luck and expertise on their side, the players on this list have done both.

It’s not every day that famous footballers get to walk away with the casino jackpot. But the few who have, did so in significant numbers. So, there we have it, the biggest football names to win significant amounts from the tables.