Many football players start to get addicted to gambling because of the huge fees and the fact that they are bored when not training. Many football stars have experience with gambling. Below, we will tell the life stories of several famous football players who were known to spend time in online casinos and real-life gambling clubs.
9 Legendary footballers who have had issues with gambling
The lives of football players may seem glamorous and rich on the outside, but they are often full of stress and pressure. In fact, many athletes have many issues that ordinary people face. Famous footballers and familiar gamblers suffer from gambling addiction, as they spend a lot of time in the best online casino payout UK. Below, we will tell the stories of each of them.
1. Scott Davis
A famous soccer player from Ireland. He played for the lower football leagues in England. Scott Davis began his acquaintance with gambling clubs and the online MrQ casino when he received the first fee. Throughout his life, he lost a lot of real money in the hope of getting rewards.
Ultimately, Scott Davis realized his problem and turned to professionals for help. Today, the athlete visits EPIC Risk Management and discusses the dangers of playing slots.
2. Michael Chopra
The athlete is one of the most talented football players in England. For a long time, he played for such football clubs as Sunderland and Newcastle United.
Michael Chopra began his acquaintance with gambling at the age of 17. He spent up to £30,000 in cash on his hobby. And in his entire football career, he lost more than 2 million pounds. He even came under investigation by the British Horse Racing Authority for betting too often.
3. Eidur Gudjohnsen
The legendary football player of the Chelsea club has a successful sports career.
However, this does not prevent him from loving online casinos as well. Gambling addiction began to appear when the athlete was recovering from an injury.
In months, he lost £500,000 playing Roulette and casino card games. In 2009, everyone became aware of the debts of a talented athlete.
Despite the difficulties, Eidur Gudjohnsen overcame his addiction, and today he lives an everyday life.
4. Matthew Etherington
Before his gambling addiction, the athlete had a successful career in the Premier League.
However, everything changed when he began to suffer from gambling problems. In 2010, Matthew Etherington lost over £1,500,000 to get earnings from gambling clubs.
The athlete spent money on horse racing and poker. The addiction situation worsened when he moved to West Ham United.
5. Paul Merson
The athlete played for the best football clubs in England. Multimillion-dollar fees and the inability to manage their time led to Paul Merson’s addiction to alcohol and gambling.
The football player also used drugs for a long time. And when he finished with them, he switched to gambling. Gradually, he accumulated giant debts exceeding £7 million.
The football player admitted that gambling was his biggest problem. It was more challenging to give up slot machines than alcohol and drugs.
Today, Paul Merson is off his addictions and living everyday life.
6. Kenny Sansom
He was the best player in England and Arsenal Football Club for a long time.
Few people guessed that Kenny Sansom was seriously suffering from gambling addiction.
The athlete started talking about his issue recently. Today, the legendary football player admitted that due to difficulties with gambling, he feels unhappy and bankrupt.
7. Joey Barton
The athlete had issues on the football field and beyond. His sports career ended when the Football Association banned the game.
During his life, he made more than 1200 sports bets, including matches in which he participated. The athlete has overcome gambling addiction and is engaged in football management.
Joey Barton is also one of the few footballers that went to prison.
8. David Bentley
The football player began his acquaintance with gambling at an early age—14 years old.
He started with sports betting and tried everything he could. The athlete played online slots, video poker, dog racing bets, and virtual sports.
When David Bentley realized his problem, he began to deal with it. His agent and girlfriend helped him overcome his gambling addiction.
Today he lives in Europe and is a successful owner of his own business.
9. Dominic Matteo
Anyone who has been following an athletes’ life will remember not only his football success, but also his gambling addiction.
The passion of the former Liverpool defender led to the emergence of large debts—more than 1 million pounds for gambling.
In 2011, the athlete released an autobiographical book in which he spoke about the dangers of gambling and how it had affected his life.
Conclusion
Gambling addiction is a serious problem for many people. Football players receive reasonable fees and lead a luxurious lifestyle, so they often fall into the game trap. The stories of athletes confirm that an irresponsible attitude to the game leads to negative consequences. A person can lose a career, income, and loved ones. When a gambling addiction occurs, it is crucial to fight it immediately. You could try contacting some addiction help centers for help.
