Celebrities Who Are Fans of Sports Betting

Celebrities Who Are Fans of Sports Betting

There is no doubt that celebrity status comes with a variety of perks. In a lot of cases, the most significant benefit of stardom is money, lots of it. Many movie stars, famous musicians, athletes, and even social media influencers get more cash than they know what to do with. Even after they buy sprawling mansions, expensive cars, jewelry, and other luxuries, they still have heaps of money to burn.

As you can imagine, the rich and famous have the means to indulge in certain activities. For many, those indulgences include sports betting which has now become accessible to people in most regions around the globe. Of course, it’s never been easier to place sports bets. Simply download one of the many sports betting apps South Africa, Nigeria or some other country offers, deposit funds, and start placing wagers. However, the elites of the world often have their own personal bookies who don’t place low limits on them as so many commercial bookies do.

Successful Celebrity Sports Bettors

In recent years, one of the most well-known and successful celebrity sports bettors has been boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. He is famous for wagering massive sums on sporting events including his own fights. A few years ago, he bet a staggering $1.1 million on the Oregon Ducks to beat the 7.5-point spread against the Arizona State Wildcats. Like he had done dozens of times throughout his professional boxing career, Money Mayweather cruised to an easy payday.

While a lot of celebrity sports bettors are connected to professional sports, musicians and actors get in on the action too. Take 50 Cent as an example. The rapper and actor has become well-known for frequently betting large sums on NFL football and hockey. He gained a bit of a reputation as a gambler in 2012 when he correctly predicted that the New York Giants would win the NFC title. That one netted him over $1 million. One of his most notable wagers was a $1.6 bet on the aforementioned Floyd Mayweather. It won, of course.

There may be a bit of a misconception regarding the way most celebs bet. While big-time sports bettors like Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan have been accused of being rather impulsive, other stars are far more methodical and professional in their approach. Instead of getting action for the sake of getting action, actor Ashton Kutcher incorporates a data and science-driven approach to his bets. He actually researches and handicaps his picks although he has also used touts. Believe it or not, Kutcher’s sports gambling hobby has been highly profitable.

Another actor to find a decent amount of success through his sports betting hobby is Ben Affleck. Even though he has a reputation for casino gambling and poker, Affleck has also risked a lot of his hard-earned money on sports. Of course, he’s also made a ton of cash being one of the celebrity faces of the WynnBets betting app.

Not All Celebrity Sports Bettors are Winners

Even though the popularity of sports betting has exploded in recent years, many celebrities made names for themselves as sports bettors long before the dawn of the internet age. One doesn’t need to look much further than would-be MLB Hall-of-Famer Pete Rose. Sadly for the man who went by the nickname of Charlie Hustle, his gambling habits got him virtually erased from the annals of baseball history. 

We also have the cautionary tale of Art Schlichter. Despite being a first-round draft pick by the NFL’s Baltimore Colts, he is mainly remembered for his outrageous sports betting activity. In particular, he owed bookmakers over $700,000 in his rookie year which far exceeded his 350K signing bonus. Things just got worse from there. Much worse.

Then there’s Charlie Sheen who was reportedly losing about $200,000 to bookies every week during his “Tiger Blood” phase. Of course, with all of that wild drama that surrounded him at the time, he probably wasn’t putting a lot of clear thought into his bets. And to think that so many sports bettors throw a fit when they lose a $5 bet?

Sports betting strategies involve a variety of components. Discipline, research, and having a solid understanding of sports and gambling are just a few of them. The most critical prerequisite for placing sports bets is having the extra money to do it. Few people have the luxury of seemingly unlimited financial resources like celebrities do. It must be nice!!