It is illegal in many countries, including the United Kingdom, for footballers to gamble on their chosen sports. This is not limited to the conflict of interest that may lead to corrupt practices in the game but can also lead to the imposition of fines and suspensions on players. For these reasons and others, football players are more prone to venture into casino gambling to chill out and have fun when away from their daily stressful life. They also gamble to make a quick buck.
Although many may think footballers place wagers just for fun, the reality could be completely different. Like traditional punters, many football players seek casino welcome bonuses at best50casino.com to place their bets. They play to win as much as they play to win on the football pitch. Some worldwide known players are very serious about their love for poker, and gambling platforms have enticed them to sign on as poker ambassadors and promote online poker rooms with global tournaments.
Gambling is loved by many footballers across the globe
Many football legends like Gigi Buffon, Neymar, the late Diego Maradona, Mario Balotelli and James Maddison frequently visit casinos. However, it is most probable that many other players like to use online gambling casinos in a discreet manner and without the facility of splashing their identity through registration. Most gambling platforms offer clients and punters the possibility of allowing them to upload the homepage and place wagers or play games without the necessity to register or create an account. To avoid any possible intervention by the authorities and stay away from media scrutiny, most footballers prefer to use anonymity when placing bets at their favourite casino.
No accounts casinos and VIPs-only based casinos offer a safety net and security to footballers to have fun and win money on different games. Such platforms allow footballers to place bets without the need to open an account or give personal details. Many footballers playing in the English Premier League are known to be ardent visitors and users of land-based casinos and online gambling platforms.
Manchester United, football greatness and a love for gambling
Manchester United, or as they are better known, the Red Devils from Manchester, is one of the most popular football clubs in the world. They have had ongoing success in England as well as in European competitions organised by UEFA. The club has employed many world-class and skilful players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, George Best, Bobby Charlton and many others. It has provided the English national team with talented players who have made the English nation proud. Like any other clubs in England and Europe, some of Manchester United’s players are keen gamblers, whether frequenting land-based casinos or gambling online. Past and present gamblers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, and David de Gea are some of United’s players who are very interested in gambling.
Most Manchester United footballers prefer to gamble on card games like poker. Some of them are regular gamblers, whilst others have taken part in world poker tours placing huge bets and hitting the jackpots.
What casino games do Manchester United players like to wager on?
Cristiano Ronaldo is a legend, and his name is part of the household worldwide. He played for Juventus in Italy, Real Madrid in Spain, and Manchester United in England. His scoring abilities have made him one of the top goal-scoring machines of all time. Hailing from Portugal, he has greatly impacted the Portuguese national team via his scoring acumen and personality. He has won numerous trophies both at the club level as well as on a personal level such as the Ballon d’Or. His love for football is also extended to his passion for poker gambling. He is a frequent online gambler and has featured in a number of poker adverts and promotions. His ambition to be the best of the best in all he does is spilt over in his gambling urge as he is known to have played poker against other well-known poker players in the world.
The Red Devil’s goalkeeper David de Gea comes from Spain. He joined Manchester United way back in 2011, and since then, he has become one of the most talented goalkeepers in the world. Many considered his transfer to Manchester United a gamble, but his goalkeeping skills soon convinced sceptics that United made the right choice. On one particular occasion, De Gea managed to keep a clean sheet in eleven games out of twenty-eight matches. Besides his love for football and esports, the Manchester United goalkeeper is also passionate and a big fan of casinos. He even gambled against Pique when the latter was playing at Old Trafford and managed to beat his Spanish colleague during a table poker-friendly game. De Gea is also an ardent metal music fan and is often seen at music shows enjoying hard metal music.
Wayne Rooney is a former Manchester United forward. He joined the Red Devils from Everton in 2004 and became one of the best goal scorers in the club’s history. During his time at Old Trafford, Royne scored two hundred and fifty-three goals for United before he moved to the United States to play for DC (District of Columbia in Washington). In 2024 he retired from football and joined the managerial staff as a manager of Derby County or as they are known, the Rams. In addition, to his fame as a prolific goal-scoring ability, Wayne Rooney is also an ardent card player. Prior to his retirement from football, he opened up about his gambling habit. It is believed that he lost almost half a million Euros during a two-hour gambling spree at one particular casino in Manchester. It is understood that at this particular event, Rooney was heavy on drinking beer and placed huge bets on roulette and blackjack.
Pique is known to be a great gambler
The Spanish defender and former Manchester United player Gerard Pique joined the Old Trafford club in 2004. After his satisfactory spell at Manchester, Pique moved on to play for Barcelona and the Spanish national team. Pique is a talented poker player and has participated in world-class tournaments. On one occasion, Pique, together with Arturo Vidal, who played for Juventus, Bayern Munich, and Inter, won almost half a million dollars at a poker event in Spain. Despite not being a professional gambler, Piquet has spent between three thousand and four thousand euros per casino session. That said, he won casino competitions like the 2011 European Poker Tour, where he won forty thousand euros, and; the 2019 European Poker Tour, where it bagged more than three and fifty thousand euros. Pique also tried his luck in-game branding; however, his business venture did not proceed at the successful pace of his football career.
Other Manchester United stars who are also into gambling include the goal-scoring forward Teddy Sheringham, who in one event won over one thousand dollars at the Casino Vilamoura and finished at the top fifty on the European Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker. Rafael Silva and Marcos Rojo, who used to play for Manchester United, are the other two footballers keen on gambling. Both enjoy their time playing online casino games and attending land-based casinos.
The freedom of time and money…
Unlike the normal nine to five employees, footballers have much more free time from their profession. With plenty of time on their hands, footballers often turn to online gambling, more so today that technology has made it much more attractive and interactive. The anonymity provided by major gambling platforms has made it much easier for players worldwide to indulge in their favourite gambling games from the comforts and security of their homes.