It’s not a secret that superstars love to gamble. They enjoy spending time and money on games of chance. And it’s all fun and games until they spiral out of control. We present to you the list of celebrities who have struggled with gambling addiction.
Whether they are actors, singers, athletes, or others, celebrities make a lot of money. And, we all know they love to burn cash on a variety of indulgences. For example, some of them enjoy playing games of chance. In fact, they love playing online casino games a bit too much and often end up spending thousands of dollars gambling. Yes, they can go to extremes sometimes. Let’s see what celebs were caught on gambling too often.
Ben Affleck
We all know Ben Affleck as an award-winning actor. But he is also a director, screenwriter, and poker pro. The Hollywood superstar is enthusiastic about card games, while poker and blackjack are definitely on his favorites list.
In 2001, he lost close to half a million dollars on poker, after which he checked into rehab to deal with his gambling problem. However, he continued gambling. On one occasion, he placed a $60,000 bet in blackjack but won $800,000. The actor left a $150,000 tip for the dealer — quite generous. He even won the State Poker Championship in California in 2004, and a Las Vegas Casino once banned him for practicing card counting in blackjack.
Tiger Woods
This professional golfer earns jaw-dropping amounts of money. And he chooses to spend a portion of that money gambling. Woods is a high roller who’s credit line at MGM Grand in Las Vegas was $1 million. There are rumors that the golfer spends tens of thousands of dollars on blackjack. Apparently, once he lost $250,000 at a casino in Sin City, he hosted an event.
Tobey Maguire
You might not see Tobey Maguire in movies these days, but you can run into him in casinos.
A former Spiderman loves poker, and he is quite good at it. According to some reports, Maguire has won $10 million on this game so far. He is also a regular and successful player in the World Series of Poker. But his passion for poker comes with a price, and the actor has been struggling with serious gambling addiction.
Floyd Mayweather
One of the nicknames of Floyd Mayweather is Money. He has a lot of it, and he spends it carelessly. The former professional boxer is addicted to sports betting. He’s said to have won $3 million betting on college football once.
Another time, Mayweather wagered $10 million that the Broncos would win the Super Bowl. Mr. Money has also been rumored to have a gambling debt amounting to millions and millions of dollars.
Michael Jordan
He is known as one of the greatest basketball players ever. His skills on the court were legendary. MJ also likes to play poker; however, his poker skills are far from good. Back in the ’90s, he lost more than $150,000 in Atlantic City, and after that, he admitted that he had a problem with gambling.
But the basketball superstar continued to play poker even though he was never successful. Jordan also loves to gamble on sports, and he allegedly lost more than a million on golf betting.
Charlie Sheen
Pick a vice, any vice, and there is a huge chance that Charlie Sheen has it. The controversial actor is known for consuming way too much alcohol and drugs. But he is not a stranger to gambling either. In fact, he’s been gambling for ages. Sheen loves to wager on sports, and his ex-wife says he used to spend $20,000 on sports betting every week.
Ray Romano
Everybody loves Raymond, but it seems that Raymond loves to gamble. Ray Romano, who portrayed the beloved character in the aforementioned TV show, likes to play poker. He joined the World Series of Poker tournament but without success, which resulted in huge losses for him.
Romano has treated his compulsive gambling problem and is still trying to cope with his addiction. Sometimes, he still bets on golf, but he places “virtual bets” and avoids live betting sites.
Pamela Anderson
Male celebs are not the only ones attracted to gambling. Former actress and Baywatch star Pamela Anderson are also rumored to have a gambling problem. She’s said to be addicted to poker and slots, having made a $250,000 gambling debt in Sin City.
Matt Damon
We have already mentioned Affleck and Maguire, so Matt Damon is like a third gambling musketeer in that company. He and Affleck are childhood friends who have a lot in common, including a passion for poker.
Believe it or not, Damon, alongside Maguire, was connected to an illegal gambling ring in a high-end hotel. You can often see Damon in luxurious Sin City casinos where he enjoys Texas Hold’em.
Michael Phelps
The Olympic gold medalist also has a problem with casino games. A popular swimmer is passionate about poker. He used to spend hours and hours at casinos. Apparently, Phelps spent so much money on it that he regularly played with a $25,000 buy-in. One of the problems was that he chased his losses, which is always wrong.
Compulsive Gambling Is a Huge Problem
All these stories about celebs who are addicted to gambling have filled gossip websites in recent years. And their behavior is in no way exemplary. In fact, it’s a huge lesson. Gambling addiction is a serious problem that can arise even if you don’t have enormous sums of money to spend.
You can get addicted to gambling just like you can to alcohol or drugs. What happens if you are addicted to gambling? You can’t stop playing games of chance despite all the negative effects on your life. You feel an uncontrollable desire to place bets all the time.
If you want to protect yourself from addiction, then choose only the best and proven casinos online.
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How Can You Help Problem Gamblers?
Most of the time, people are not aware of their problem. They are in denial. Even worse, they are not able to help themselves. But gambling addiction is treatable, and the industry recognizes this and suggests several recovery methods.
Those with the problem can seek help in one of the many treatment facilities available around the world. Support groups are also one of the methods known to give results. In some cases, it’s not possible to treat addiction without medications prescribed by professionals. If you recognized a gaming addiction problem with yourself, don’t give up – you can handle it as long as you know it exists!
And, whatever treatment option you choose, know that you are not alone, – there are lots of people who can help you and don’t have to go through hell alone.