Like us, many celebrities love to gamble, and some have gone down the path of infamy due to the exceptionally high gambling losses they accrued.
We all love to gamble, although gambling losses are one thing that we try to minimise whenever we roll the dice. Naturally, gambling is not only restricted to mere mortals like you and me. As hard as it seems to believe, celebrities have the same interests as the rest of us.
Celebrities who gamble tend to place large bets because they generally have the means to do so. Sadly, with big wagers come potentially significant gambling losses, especially when one doesn’t know when to stop.
Here are a few celebrities who have lost vast sums of money at casinos:
Charles Barkley
Aside from his outstanding skills on the court, NBA player Charles Barkley is known for losing money at casinos. But it didn’t seem an issue until he accumulated a staggering US$20 million worth of gambling losses, costing him nearly all the savings he earned throughout his 16-year-long career. He was even sued for US$400,000 by a Las Vegas casino for gambling obligations he didn’t pay.
Charlie Sheen
Sheen enjoyed sports betting, and it is rumoured that he used to spend over US$200,000 a week on games, with his total gambling losses peaking at US$2.5 million. Luckily, Sheen has been on the mend recently and has significantly cut down the amount of time he spends at the betting venues, and we’re hoping that this trend continues.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan lost US$5 million in a single bet! Jordan is among the top basketball players of all time, but he’s also notorious for his gambling losses. He is said to spend more than a million dollars yearly on gambling alone. Even though his basketball proficiencies are incredible, he is not a top performer in gambling. Sums of money, like hundreds of thousands of dollars, are normal to him, so experiencing significant losses isn’t an issue.
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney is known for his superb skill on the field and his gambling issues. Despite having been one of Manchester United’s top players, his £500,000 wagering loss became widely known as one of the speediest losses in gambling history, having happened in under 2 hours while playing blackjack and roulette. He claimed that he was playing out of boredom since his wife and children were not at home. We assume he might also require a babysitter, although, given his financial position, this is probably not his main worry.
Ben Affleck
While it’s not millions like other celebs, one of Affleck’s most significant gambling losses was US$400,000. Aside from his unforgettable roles in various films, Ben Affleck is also known to be an exceptional casino player. After winning a poker championship in 2004, he was banned from playing in Las Vegas. His biggest loss was from a single poker hand. Despite his habit, he once tipped a casino dealer more than US$150,000, which is why we adore the golden boy of Hollywood.
Pamela Anderson
Pamela Anderson is a frequent guest in Las Vegas, and according to sources, she lost US$250,000 in a single night playing poker. Although she is best known for things like beauty, performances in TV series, and relationships, she loves playing poker. We hope she has improved at the game to avoid such losses again.
Tiger Woods
The world-class golfer is known for his gambling addiction. According to reports, he has a US$1 million betting limit at a Vegas casino. He lost US$25,000 on a single blackjack bet once, so you can imagine all the other losses.
Gambling may become very addictive, especially when riding a winning streak. Many people had let their gambling become problematic when they lost vast sums of money in casinos. Remember always to gamble responsibly.
