Sports Stars With Gambling Problems

From an outside point of view, the life of a footballer is unsurprisingly one of luxury. Fast cars, huge mansions, more money than one can imagine, and all of this on top of their innate talent that has allowed them to perform on this elevated platform.

This investigation compares the prevalence rates of pathological and problem gambling between college athletes and non-athletes. Participants in the study included 954 students enrolled in health and safety classes from nine universities belonging to the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Professional athletes, by virtue of huge contracts and endorsement deals, are less likely to be targets of gamblers than unpaid college athletes. Gambling-related incidents in professional sports can be traced back to the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, when eight Chicago White Sox baseball. However, plenty of sports stars know how to play their cards right when it comes to gambling. Take, for example, pro-golfer Tiger Woods’ gambling wins. He frequently plays Blackjack at $25,000 per hand with a $1 million limit at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Athletes with a costly gambling problem: The funny thing about people who become rich is they often seem to develop some odd character flaw that costs them. Athletes Who Destroyed Their Careers Due to Gambling Problems Gambling By Next Impulse Sports on April 24, 2020 A lot of people out there enjoy a night or two of gambling and playing at casinos, and in most cases, the excitement and thrill that come with it do not result in a massive strain on the person’s finances.

But the glitz and glam of being a professional footballer isn’t always what it’s made out to be, with paparazzi, social media abuse and many other off-field problems often getting in the way of their abilities.

And another negative issue that also seems to follow these athletes around is problem gambling, with many prominent stars making the headlines over the years for their difficulties in the betting industry.

Sports Stars With Gambling Problems Involving

We take a look at ten players who suffered such problems throughout their careers.

1. Michael Chopra

The ex-Cardiff City forward enjoyed a career throughout the various divisions of English football, but often struggled away from the game, recently admitting to losing around £2 million through gambling. The striker also admitted that he joined Sunderland to pay off his debts, which started out when he was just a teenager at their rivals Newcastle, where he would bet up to £30,000 with other players en route to matches.

The former striker additionally faced severe charges from the British Horseracing Authority for suspicious betting activity. He did, however, spend time at the Sporting Chance clinic, a charity set up by Arsenal legend Tony Adams to provide an addiction and recovery facility for athletes. After England, Chopra spent time in Scotland and India with Alloa Athletic and Kerala Blasters respectively, before retiring in 2016.

2. Eidur Gudjohnsen

Former Chelsea striker Gudjohnsen enjoyed a trophy-laden career that spanned two decades, but he is another to have fallen victim to the lures of gambling. He once admitted to losing almost half a million pounds in just a few months, with roulette wheels and blackjack his games of choice when he missed out on football due to injury.

The journeyman had stints in Greece, China and Belgium in the latter stages of his career, and has since turned to coaching, firstly as an assistant manager for the Iceland under-21 side, before becoming manager at Icelandic football club FH.

3. Matthew Etherington

Etherington is another to have spent part of his career behind the glitz and glam of professional football at the Sporting Chance clinic. The former West Ham winger battled an addiction to poker and horse racing betting throughout his years as a professional footballer, with the Hammers once providing him with a £300,000 loan after their player had accumulated over £800,000 in gambling debt.

The 39-year-old worked towards his UEFA coaching badges after retiring from the game in 2014 due to a recurring back injury, putting his skills to the test by returning to former club Peterborough United to manage their under-18 team.

4. Wayne Rooney

England’s all-time record goalscorer has certainly dominated some headlines over his phenomenal career for his actions on the pitch, but those off it have often crept into the media too. One such issue was gambling, with Rooney reportedly losing £500,000 in a Manchester casino during his time at Old Trafford, with boredom and immaturity forcing him onto the betting scene.

The Red Devils legend made a high-profile return to England at the beginning of the year, joining Championship outfit Derby County. Rooney is a regular for Philip Cocu’s side, but it was a move shrouded in controversy due to the club’s primary sponsor, betting firm 32Red.

5. Kyle Lafferty

The former Rangers and Burnley striker has admitted his gambling addiction on numerous occasions, stating boredom as his major reason for online gambling once training and matches were finished. But betting on football matches once brought about an FA charge and a £23,000 fine for the Northern Ireland international.

Lafferty’s journey has taken him to Sunderland, Hearts, and Norwegian side Sarpsborg 08 in recent years, but he currently lines out for Serie B side Reggina, as well as remaining a key figure for his country under new boss Ian Baraclough.

6. Joey Barton

The FA had a tricky customer on their hands in the form of Barton, who gave the governing body plenty of trouble over the years both on and off the pitch. After ten years of betting on football matches, the former midfielder was finally charged in 2016 for breaching their rules with regards to gambling.

The ex-Manchester City and Newcastle man reportedly placed 1,260 bets over that period, and was given an 18-month ban for his actions. He had previously been given a one-match ban for breaking Scottish Football Association betting rules during his spell at Rangers.

Barton is another to turn his hand to management after playing, and is currently in charge of League One outfit Fleetwood Town.

7. Paul Merson

Arsenal legend Merson battled plenty of demons throughout an honour-filled career, with alcohol and drug addictions regularly getting the better of his innate abilities with a football. He also had a lengthy run-in with gambling, and reportedly spent thousands of pounds at a time on a regular basis, with his overall debt of around £7m forcing him at one point to sell his house.

The former forward is now well-known for his punditry work on Sky Sports, having played for various non-league clubs in England and Wales after his successful stint at Highbury.

8. David Bentley

Rather than focusing on football betting, former England international Bentley reportedly opted to gamble on greyhounds, horse racing and online poker, with his gambling addiction seeing him place up to 100 bets a day. He recently admitted that his gambling days began when he was as young as 14 and playing in Arsenal’s academy.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man now has a hand in several different businesses across Europe in the entertainment sector, as well as overseeing a bespoke flooring company.

9. Andros Townsend

Current Crystal Palace player Townsend is another to have fallen foul of FA betting rules, with the midfielder’s gambling habit spiralling out of control during a loan spell at Birmingham City. He was forced to pull out of England’s under-21 squad for the 2013 European Championship after receiving a four month ban, affecting both his career with his country and parent club Spurs.

Sports Stars With Gambling Problems Today

The 29-year-old has become a key player for Roy Hodgson’s side in recent seasons, with his displays on the wing helping the Eagles clinch consistent mid-table top-flight finishes.

10. Dietmar Hamann

Former Germany midfielder Hamann reportedly turned to gambling at different times in his career, with the breakdown of his marriage and time spent away from his children two major low points. He once revealed that one night alone cost him £200,000.

The German retired as an Anfield hero, before venturing into the coaching world with MK Dons, Leicester and Stockport County. Hamann even made a brief return to football with amateur side TuS Haltern at the age of 41, but his current focus remains on punditry and as a columnist for several different publications.

There has been a “massive increase” in the number of professional sportspeople needing help with gambling addiction, according to the CEO of Sporting Chance.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with a second lockdown currently in place in England, has led to a rise in the amount of problem gambling cases reported by the mental health charity, which provides treatment and education for sportspeople suffering from addiction.

Sports Stars With Gambling Problems Since

Sporting Chance CEO Colin Bland said the charity has seen more current athletes and players get in touch regarding problems with gambling, pointing to the fact people have found new ways to gamble.

Bland told Sky Sports news: 'When we first entered lockdown, our telephones went quite quiet for a period of time and as it went on, they started to get busier and busier.

'In one week, every phone call we took was from a current player talking about their relationship with gambling, so we really have seen a rise in it.

'There was a move to casino games and playing games online. There had to be a change because there was no sport to bet on, so we have seen a massive increase in people with problems.'

Bland also mentioned how education on gambling risks must be improved, with a lack of face-to-face education a reason for a rise in cases.

He added: 'I think one of the other effects of the pandemic and one of the impacts we've seen is access to players.

'There's people who have got into problems during the pandemic because of the fears they have around their career, for example, and then the amount of education and the amount of contact they have with people who can signpost them to help has been reduced.”