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Being addicted to gambling is a big problem not just for the gambler, but also for their families. It’s an addiction that results in spending a lot of money, borrowing cash, or selling personal belongings to get more money, to bet over and over again.
But, we are not here to judge. It can happen to anyone, including those who are rich and famous. Many celebrities are great gamblers, besides their successful careers. Also, some of them suffered huge money losses due to their unreasonable gambling and spending what they’ve earned on it.
Gambling nowadays is an activity that can easily be done from home, with a mobile phone or laptop. Online casinos are becoming so popular that many people no longer feel the need to visit land-based casinos, thanks to the popularity of services like https://www.casinoinquirer.com/real-money-casinos/.
However, this does not mean that gambling addiction does not exist. On the contrary, these activities are more accessible than ever and it is easy for anyone to sign up and spend money on them. Although online casinos have an advanced system for recognizing unwanted behavior, it can still happen that even children manage to create a profile and play, before the system registers and kick them out.
Also, young people may look to their popular idols as role models. Therefore, today we will talk about young people, as well as popular people, who gamble or once had problems with gambling.
1. Paris Hilton
The famous rich heiress of Conrad Hilton has so far been successful in business, media presence, and social life, and has also tried as a singer and model. Paris has been gambling since she was in high school, and she makes no secret of the fact that she once managed to win $50,000 on blackjack.
2. Nelly
The popular rapper who has several successful hits behind him actually also has gambling problems. According to his colleagues, he often spent his earnings gambling, and knowing about big hits like “Hot in Herre”, “Dilemma” or “Ride Wit Me”, he must have spent a lot of money.
3. Shannon Elizabeth
The star from “American Pie” broke all the previous myths and stereotypes about actresses and showed that besides beauty and talent for acting, she has other skills. She is a great poker player but not a fan of online casinos. On the contrary, Shannon likes to hold the cards in her hand while playing and keep an eye on her opponents. We know that she has won poker tournaments and won over $300,000.
4. Michael Phelps
The famous swimmer who won Olympic medals is also known for being an avid poker player. His love for poker almost led him to addiction. According to him, he plays poker because he likes the dynamics of the game and he mostly plays at lower stakes.
5. Tobey Maguire
The famous Spider-Man is also a great poker player. He even learned to play poker from the famous pro from Canada, Daniel Negreanu. According to unofficial data, Toby has won over $10 million just from playing poker.
6. Ben Affleck
He may be one of the most famous actors in the world, and we recently saw him in the role of Batman. But even the most famous have their demons. Well, Ben has been battling gambling and alcohol addictions since 2001, when he first checked into rehab.
He is known for having an extraordinary memory and manages to apply advanced methods of card counting and bluffing, so it is not surprising that he has won one million dollars in one game of poker. He also loves blackjack and gambles online.
7. Brad Pitt
Brad is an award-winning actor for his roles, but he is also a big fan of blackjack and poker. According to him, he fell in love with gambling when he filmed “Ocean’s Eleven”. It didn’t take him long to understand the rules, so he had his first big gamble in Las Vegas. Nowadays, the actor does not gamble, but he still loves these games.
8. Ashton Kutcher
Ashton is also a popular actor, an idol of several generations. He is also fond of gambling and sports betting. The reason for that is his enthusiasm for mathematics. It motivates him to work on advanced strategies that help him win. Allegedly, he turned a stake of 25 million dollars into 200 million, just because of the right approach and strong strategy.
9. Charlie Sheen
Are you surprised what’s on this list? We are not. His ex-wife Denise Richards confirmed after the divorce that he spent thousands of dollars on sports betting.
10. Matt Damon
The star of the Bourne trilogy also has a gambling problem. When he shot the movie “Rounders” he realized that this activity was really interesting to him. He is a big fan of poker and blackjack, which he played together with his friend Ben Affleck.
As you can see, these are stars that aren’t very old, but they can’t qualify as very young either. In fact, Gen Z’s favorite celebrities rarely gamble because each generation faces different challenges. And actually, it’s all really good, because gambling addiction is really hard and bad for both the person and their loved ones.
On the other hand, online gambling can be a great way to draw a line between what is life and what is fun. It is really good news that today’s young stars are not so big fans of gambling as a pastime activity.
Conclusion
Popular personalities have a huge influence on people. They are often role models, and we must admit that many of them are an example of decency, moderation, and good manners. On the other hand, even celebrities are people who have their good and bad sides. In fact, being popular doesn’t mean they have to deprive themselves of what makes them happy or exciting for them.
But gambling is not something they should promote. On the contrary, education is more than necessary, so that young people can judge what is good for them and what they should avoid.