Football players are no angels, let me tell you. Some of them love online pokies and other types of digital games, while others prefer gambling. This means that online casinos are not a new thing for soccer players who want to add a dose of excitement to their lives.
Unfortunately, some athletes even had to end their careers due to gambling problems. Today, we are going to talk about those guys. Let’s take a look!
- Paul Gascoigne
Apart from being a talented player, Paul Gascoigne is also one of the most controversial footballers in history. Gazza’s gambling affinity suits his rebellious nature, while major casino losses almost led him to bankruptcy in 2016. The problem used to go hand in hand with substance abuse and it all forced Gascoigne to end his career prematurely.
- Royston Drenthe
Royston Drenthe was the rising star of European football when he signed for Real Madrid in 2007, but he soon faded into oblivion for many different reasons. Royston was not able to reach the predicted level of play mostly because of the gambling addiction that saw him losing over $3 million. Although he’s still playing football, Drenthe’s major league career is over for quite some time now.
- Joey Barton
Joey Barton is yet another bad boy of British football and a person who caused more than one incident on and off the pitch. According to FA, Barton used to gamble frequently and he also placed over 1.2 thousand bets. This earned Joey an 18-month suspension, which quickly halted his entire football career.
- Michael Chopra
Michael Chopra is certainly not the most famous football player, but he surely represents one of the most inglorious cases of gambling in the history of the sport. Chopra started gambling at the age of 17 and it soon made him spend most of his salaries just to pay off gambling debts. While Chopra did play football for nearly two decades, his gambling addiction pretty much destroyed his chances of signing for a top-level team.
- David Bentley
David Bentley was even younger than Chopra when he first started gambling at the age of 14. He did everything – casino gambling, sports betting, greyhound dog races, and many more. It didn’t help him make a big pro football career, but he did quit gambling after a few years and became a successful businessman.
The bottom line
Many athletes are known for being prone to vice, with gambling being one of the most common sins among football players. We mentioned five players who had serious casino gambling issues, but could you remember any other names? Let us know in the comments below!
