The seven football stars who love casinos

Outside of training and matchdays, footballers often find themselves with a lot of free time. Many take up golf as a way of relaxing and enjoying some friendly competition without the risk of injury that contact sports have.

Gambling is another enjoyable pastime for athletes who can make a lot of money throughout their careers. While gambling on football is not allowed (just look at what happened with Ivan Toney and Sandro Tonali), other gambling markets are fair game.

Sports betting might seem like an obvious choice for footballers and there are many who enjoy betting on other sports and racing, but casino gambling combines the excitement of betting with the atmosphere and social experience of a night out.

Below, we’ve highlighted seven massive football stars known to gamble publicly. However, there are bound to be many more gambling footballers that we don’t know about due to their preference for online casinos. iGaming expert Kane Pepi explains that casinos not on Gamstop UK come with a wide game selection and such incentives as 400% matched deposit bonuses. These sites are ‘non-Gamstop’, in the sense that they can be accessed by anyone – from football fans to professional football players. 

Totti

Francesco Totti is a genuine legend of the modern game. During his one-club career, he finished as AS Roma’s all-time top goalscorer and the player with the most appearances for the Rome giants.

After 786 games and 307 goals, the Italian retired in 2017 and has frequented some of Europe’s top casinos. As a poker enthusiast, he has even acted as an ambassador for online poker sites. 

Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a larger-than-life star of the modern game who has scored for fun in Europe’s top leagues before he graced U.S. club football with his presence.

The Swedish international is as famous for his self-confidence as he is for his incredible talent. Confidence is key to many casino games, and Zlatan has been known to enjoy a flutter. In 2021, UEFA investigated him over his stake in a gambling company.

Rooney

It is hard to believe that Wayne Rooney is still only 38, having burst onto the scene at the age of 16 and scoring a world-class equaliser for Everton at home against Arsenal before turning 17.

He went on to become Manchester United’s all-time top goalscorer and second-top England goalscorer before moving into management. He is currently the boss of Plymouth Argyle, having previously taken charge of Birmingham City, DC United, and Derby County.

Rooney’s gambling history has seen him become a regular in Manchester casinos as well as being spotted enjoying the tables in Vegas. His favourite games are blackjack and roulette, but he doesn’t rule out other casino games.

Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon is widely recognised as one of the game’s greatest goalkeepers. During his 28-year career, he played for Parma and Juventus twice and briefly for Paris Saint-Germain. 

His 176 caps for the Italian national team is the highest of any player, and he only retired in 2023 at the age of 45.

Buffon’s casino game of choice is Poker, and he fronts an online poker site. He has also been known to hit some of Italy’s top casinos to enjoy his favourite game. 

Neymar JR

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior is a generational talent that exemplifies everything you would want in a Brazilian forward. Starting his career with Santos, he earned a move to Barcelona where he forged a lethal partnership with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

In 2017, after his €222 million release clause was met, he transferred to Paris Saint-Germain. Despite scoring many goals and helping the team dominate domestically, the team’s failure to win a Champions League saw his time there dubbed a disappointment by some critics.

A big-money move to the Saudi Pro League with Al Hilal followed, but injuries have hampered his time there. Despite all this, Neymar is Brazil’s top goalscorer and has also been known to take his poker seriously.

As well as taking part in poker tournaments, he also enjoys other casino games including slot machines, and like many other footballers, has had an ambassadorial role for an online casino. 

Pique

Gerard Pique’s trophy haul throughout his career is something to behold, having won the Premier League and Champions League with Manchester United before winning countless trophies at Barcelona. He has also had great international success with Spain, winning the World Cup in 2010 and European Championship in 2012.

But Pique’s talents aren’t restricted to the football pitch and he won an impressive €352,950 after coming second in the €25,000 Single-Day High Roller Event at the 2019 EPT Barcelona.

Ronaldo

Christiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest players of all time and this is down to his hard work and determination. This competitive streak has carried over to his gambling where he has succeeded at poker.

A 2015 gambling session in Las Vegas saw the star earn thousands. While many of his gambling wins will pale in significance to his earnings as a footballer, it has provided a great outlet for him away from the game.

Conclusion

The high earnings of modern footballers allow many to gamble for fun across a selection of markets. Modern athletes sacrifice a lot to be at peak fitness, and the stress involved in multi-million pound football matches requires an outlet. Gambling provides this for a lot of footballers, and they can also see them add to their earnings.