There has always been a huge amount of press given to any athlete who makes a wager on a game while active on his or her respective roster. While that will continue to be the case, a new Supreme Court ruling will allow them to place sports bets in their respective states along with everyone else under certain conditions. Those would include such things as league rules prohibiting them from wagering on their own games and, of course, whether that particular state decides to legalize sports betting now that the power is back in their hands. However, nothing ever stopped sports legends from making their way offshore or to Las Vegas to make a wager, and here are just a few of those people who have become legendary at betting along the way.
The Softer Side of Mario Balotelli
For those of you who don’t follow European football (soccer to us here in the U.S.), Mario Balotelli is a former forward for the Manchester City team in the UK. He is said to have a ‘softer side’ than shown out in the field because he is very generous when it comes to sharing his wins. One time he went to a gambling club in Manchester and won a whopping £25,000 which he then proceeded to share with a street person outside the den. He thought nothing of handing over 1,000 of those pound notes to the man who would probably for the first time in a very long time have somewhere warm and safe to sleep and a very good meal.
Illegal Gambling Among the Legends
Have you ever wondered if sports greats like Alex Rodriguez, former Mets player, filmed at an illegal poker game in New York went on to place bets in offshore online casinos? While they could also make wagers and win huge sums of money, they could also play such things as free slot games at SlotsCalendar while waiting to see if their team/player performed as they predicted. While Rodriguez is a baseball legend, he is also a legendary gambler who was not afraid to enter the no-man’s zone of illegal betting when afforded the opportunity.
Some Not-so-Lucky Legends
Then there are those sports legends who did better on the court than off in terms of winning. Charles Barkley who was a force to be reckoned with in basketball just couldn’t seem to catch a break when gambling in casinos. Perhaps his luck is better online, but it has been rumored that this basketball great who moved onto sportscasting didn’t always do so well in Vegas. He is reported to have been sued by Wynn Las Vegas for the $400,000 they were alleged to have fronted him, and another time he is said to have dropped a cool $20 million at casino tables as well. With that kind of luck, online gambling might be more to his style because that amount of cash probably isn’t accepted without being intercepted along the way.
While so many pro and amateur athletes love to place a bet whenever the opportunity arises, they are by no means legendary when they keep all things in check. With the new Supreme Court ruling, it will be easier for these stars to make a wager or two, but it just might be safer for them to stick to online casinos because the temptation is just too great to drop huge sums. Wouldn’t you agree?