The top sports professionals of the world are not only skilled at the games that win them millions of Rands; many like to play casino games in their spare time. Not only are they skilled on the field, but most of these sports stars can put down massive bet amounts on the casino games they love.

Playing casino games can be exciting, and you experience a real thrill when you win, so it’s no secret why these big bettors have taken up the most popular casino games. Read on to find out which of the world’s top sports stars play famous casino games.

Poker

This versatile game that includes Texas Hold ‘Em, the Five Card Draw, and No-Limit Hold ‘Em can be seen being played by NBA champ Michael Jordan. Often playing before a major playoff game, Jordan enjoys spending his free time in casinos and plays more than just poker. His bets range into the millions sometimes, and he wins equally as much. The basketball legend has since retired from the court but says he won’t stop with the high-stakes indulgence he allows himself to enjoy.

This game is also enjoyed by the Spanish football defender Gerard Piqué. In 2017, he won a smaller amount of R210,000 but his total winnings to date are R942,000 from playing poker at casinos. Even the famous tennis great Boris Becker enjoys the occasional poker game and signed a contract in 2007 to become the PokerStars ambassador. Becker frequents the European Poker Tour and has currently won more than R100,000. Still, he makes more than 10 times that playing tennis, so poker is just a fun hobby for this sports star.

Blackjack

It seems that basketball and casino games go hand-in-hand when it comes to these professionals. Charles Barkley enjoys blackjack more than poker, but can often be seen with long-time friend Michael Jordan. Barkley loves the game so much that he once spent more than R35 million just in the span of six hours. His favourite is to play the game using an online casino platform when he isn’t out on the town with Jordan.

Also a sports star, the famous golfer John Daly loves a good game of blackjack. He was once reported to play seven different hands at once and he does surprisingly well in the game. His bets range from R70,000 to more than R200,000 per hand, but he had to set himself a limit on how much he is willing to lose. His greatest loss was almost R23 million in one single session.

Slots

Not only known for his love of blackjack, but John Daly is also best known for blasting R22 million playing five straight hours of the slot machines. The golfer has reportedly lost almost twenty times that amount over the years and is known for developing a bad addiction that lost him most of his earnings from golf. Daniel Sturridge, another famous footballer for Liverpool loves the slots so much and has won a fair amount. He even gave R20,000 to a close relative once after winning big.

Another famous player for the Liverpool football team Dietmar Hamann loves to play the occasional slot online as well as some cricket in his spare time. If you want to learn how to play casino games, you will need the help of online casino guides, so click here. With Online Casino Review, you can check out all the casino gambling guides you will ever need while reviewing the top online casinos in South Africa. You can find guides for both beginners and experienced professionals just looking to brush up their game skills and knowledge.

Roulette

Roulette is mostly a game of pure chance, but some sports stars have found how to play so well that they are international sensations on the field and in the casino. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is just one of those players that’s skilled in everything he does. He not only plays roulette but enjoys poker frequently. He has lost close to R84 million in total over the years playing roulette, and even his colleagues Eidur Gudjohnsen and Jesper Gronkjaer have lost a significant amount as well. All three of these Liverpool professionals seem to love roulette and blackjack.

Before he passed away, the great footballer Diego Maradona also enjoyed spending his time playing roulette. Although it was his favourite game, Maradona opened a casino in Buenos Aires and liked to play every game he had.

Famous sports stars are known for being rich and extravagant, but not more than these avid casino game gamblers who seem to lose more than they win. From golf to tennis, football to basketball, it seems that skill is not the only thing these players have on the field and court. They also have a lot of money to spend, even when they go a little bit overboard.