5 Soccer Players Who Like To Gamble

Gambling is a pastime enjoyed by millions of people around the world. Whether you’re a casual or serious player, it’s something everyone can enjoy. With its growing popularity, it’s no surprise that many athletes who play soccer gamble online.

Casino and gaming industry experts like Jacek Michalski, whose profile you can overview here, advise that gambling is for fun, and you shouldn’t try to earn money from slots. Many footballers who enjoy the activity understand this but still aim to win as if they’re out on the field, and like everything else they only look for the best.

It’s nigh impossible to know who’s playing at a casino online, which is probably why many players opt for this option. As you’ll see, despite preferring privacy, many of them are open about their favourite way to gamble, so let’s take a look at some well-known soccer players that enjoy the world of betting.

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.

Diego Maradona

This legend is famous for achieving so much in football but is also a recognised face in casinos. Maradona is a lover of card games and can also be occasionally found at the roulette table. Despite his past struggles, he has come a long way and is one of the few footballers that gamble for money.

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 to gamble online, which is why it’s no surprise that he’s a recognised 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.

Neymar

Neymar is one of the top-ranked strikers of all time even if he hasn’t gotten as many Ballons d’Or awards. When he’s not netting countless goals or watching basketball, you’ll find him playing poker with friends. Unlike some players, he’s very vocal about his enjoyment of gambling and often posts about it on social media.

Neymar has even participated in the European Poker Tour. He’s gone up against the best and proven that his gambling capacity is almost as good as his football skills.

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

With gambling becoming more popular more football players are joining the industry as competitors and representatives of companies. Big names in soccer are choosing betting as a fun hobby and others are using it as a way to open up career opportunities on a professional level. Even if it’s caused some legend to get into trouble, it’s an excellent way for these athletes to show off their skills in a different field.