It seems that these days, everyone enjoys partaking in a little gambling. Some might enjoy it even more than others, taking it too far.
Between sports betting, live casino games, and online slots, there are now so many ways to enter the gambling world. Online gambling makes it super simple to access all of your favorite betting platforms.
Unsurprisingly, even professional sports players enjoy placing monetary bets and hoping for wins. Many soccer players especially seem to enjoy gambling for some extra cash.
It’s easy to get hooked when you win a lot. Some of the following six soccer players may have taken their hobbies a little too far, but others are just in it for fun.
1. James Coppinger
A player from England, James Coppinger has had his fair share of gambling experience. From betting halls to horse racing, his gambling expertise is public knowledge.
Perhaps his most notable gambling mishap occurred during a horse betting scandal, where he was thought to have broken some betting rules.
He denied any affiliation with the charges, but was still banned from horse betting for three years.
As such a force in the soccer-playing world, Coppinger’s faults were on display. He also admitted to vast amounts of gambling when he was young and had just become a professional player.
He seems to have gained his footing a bit better now, and seems to have overcome his struggles to meet success in his career.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo is on the list of top players in the world and might be considered the best soccer player in the world by a few.
In addition to his skills on the field, Ronaldo has also demonstrated a love for the game of poker.
He is attracted to the competition and the fun playing poker offers. He has competed in multiple tournaments and won a few against other public figures!
The soccer star has traveled to all of the top casinos in the world and enhanced his gambling skills.
He is a massive fan of online poker and endorses an online poker playing platform.
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You may even catch Ronaldo online at the same table as yourself someday!
3. Michael Chopra
An unusual case of a gambling soccer player is Michael Chopra, who signed to a great team to help pay off his gambling debts.
He claimed that when he was still a teenager, he would bet thousands of dollars on various gambling platforms. He was constantly threatened by loan sharks to pay his debts back.
News agencies reported that Chopra’s father sold his house to help pay back his son’s debts. He dug himself into a severe gambling hole that began to affect more than just himself.
As a result of his serious gambling debts, as well as charges about breaking the rules in horse racing, Chopra took it upon himself to get out of gambling.
He loved it a little too much and now has to remove it from his life altogether.
4. Dominic Matteo
It seems that when players commit themselves to a life of playing soccer, they are also committing themselves to consistent gambling. Similar to Chopra, Dominic Matteo found himself placing huge bets.
Although he has realizes the dangerous gambling pit he fell into and has changed his ways, Matteo used to bet millions on racing and gaming.
He used his phone to gamble on the road, risking money that he never physically saw. It’s easy to bet too much when money is withdrawn in the form of digital currency.
Matteo has now found a happy medium in gambling. He even wrote a section of a book as a warning against gambling too much.
In moderation, it is thrilling and fun, but it becomes a dangerous addiction when the bets become too big.
5. Joey Barton
Badboy of soccer, Joey Barton, had a track record of misbehavior, including multiple instances of gambling misfortunes.
His gambling addiction led to his ban from the association. He was not allowed to do any soccer-related activities for the duration of his 18-month ban.
He claims to have placed 15,000 sports bets in just 12 years. While this is a huge number, many soccer players partake in the same type of gambling.
He broke the rules, gambled away tons of money, and constantly struggled with the addiction he faced.
Authorities eventually decided to lift the ban, but he retired from playing to take on a managerial role.
6. Dietmar Hamann
Formerly a soccer player, Dietmar Hamann is still a coach with significant influence on the game of soccer. Towards the end of his career, however, he revealed his obsession with gambling.
He had some big wins during his career before retiring his jersey. When he split up from his wife and had less time to spend with his children, his love for gambling expanded.
With some wins and some losses on the bets he placed, Hamann realized he needed to slow down a bit. He was using gambling as a distraction from his reality.
Sports betting was his main gambling outlet, where he bet thousands and hoped to win big. Now he is focusing on other aspects of his life, but gambling played a massive role at the end of his soccer career.
It seems as though life in the soccer industry also leads to a life in gambling. While most players don’t end up taking it to the extreme, some encounter issues with it along the way
It is essential to be safe when playing casino games or betting on odds. The game is meant to be fun. Although it has the potential to win you money, that should not be the main focus.
Gambling should be treated as a fun activity, and you should bet only as much as you can afford to lose.
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