‘They’re not like us might’ isn’t seemingly always true! The adrenaline and enthusiasm associated with the thrill of gambling is no less prevalent to a celebrity than it is amongst us ‘commoners’!

There are a host of high-profile celebs in Hollywood who spend a lot of time on online betting sites in an effort to ‘stay rich’ while many would say it’s for the adrenaline rush too.

Online betting has gifted some celebrities a few extra coins in their estate, but for others, they have had to face significant challenges and difficulties due to their gambling activities.

Naturally, the stakes are a lot higher. Drake, for instance, often lays out millions of dollars on sports teams and athletes! Granted, many of them wished he didn’t though…yes, this is something of an inside joke.

8 Popular Celebrity Gamblers

Here is a look at some big names who place some big wagers!

Michael Jordan

Certainly, one of the best basketball players of all time, Michael Jordan is also well-known for his gambling habits. Taken from the book by Roland Lazenby Michael Jordan: The Life – gambling never seemed too far away from Michael’s life. From wagering $100 with teammates that his bag would be first out of the luggage carousel all the way to wagering hundreds of thousands of dollars on golf games and blackjack.

Ben Affleck

Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas and Ben Affleck have something of a colourful relationship. In 2014 Affleck was banned for various card counting techniques. Known as a skillful player, Affleck identifies as being ‘too good’ – don’t we all? Well, he could back it up!

Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher took gambling to another level. Allegedly becoming the face of a gambling syndicate, Kutcher would wager enormous amounts of money on behalf of the group. Granted, this didn’t last very long but given that they were wagering around $750 000 at a time, the win and loss margin would have been mightily important.

In 2013 he claimed that the group would use technology and algorithms to identify opportunities to come close to guaranteeing returns and used him as a front.

Floyd Mayweather

The undefeated boxing champion also became a gambling influencer of sorts during his career! Wagering millions of dollars on NFL Football games and NBA Basketball games in particular, Mayweather would post his bets on social media for public consumption.

Who could forget his famous three million dollar win in 2012 on a college football game!? whilst we doubt his gambling record is anywhere near his boxing career, Mayweather remains an iconic fighter.

Charles Barkley

Barkley was one of the few authentic punters. He was always very open about his gambling habits and has even disclosed to the public that he has lost millions of dollars from his estate as a result.

Barkley has never shied away from the fact that he enjoyed having a punt or two but given that he was losing up to $2.5 million in a single visit to the casino was becoming cause for concern.

Tobey Maguire

Tobey Maguire’s gambling habits were always rumored around Hollywood, but the extent of his involvement with underground poker rings came as quite a surprise. Playing poker with other well-known celebrities and business executives, Maguire became an exceptional player.

Infamously, he was involved in the Brad Ruderman fraud case. Allegedly taking up to $10 million dollars from the hedge fund manager in a game of poker, Maguire had to settle out of court and return some of those winnings.

50 Cent

A larger-than-life celebrity who lives up to his persona with his gambling activities, 50 Cent has made no secret of his affinity for sports betting. A fearless and aggressive approach to life is matched by sports bets!

Lest we forget his famous wager on the New York Giants to win the NFC Championship game in 2012. This successful wager netted the rapper half a million dollars in pure profit!

Cristiano Ronaldo

The self-proclaimed greatest player of all time is also an avid poker player – go figure. His competitive nature and approach to life does lend itself to the high-stakes environment of poker.

Ronaldo was also the ambassador for a few online platforms, look away now Coca-Cola, publicly displaying his tacit endorsement for the game.

A memorable moment for Ronaldo in the world of poker came when he faced off against actor Aaron Paul. In a friendly game, which allegedly became friendly-competitive, Ronaldo walked away victorious!