Are you partial to a flutter or two in your free time? You’re not alone. Betting – whether at the casino, the races or on your favourite sport, is a popular pastime enjoyed by many, and has been around for as long as human civilisation has existed.
It’s even present in what we know about Roman history, when betting took place on battles of gladiators and chariot races. Betting on horses was invented by the ancient Greeks even before then, and gambling now has 2000 years of cultural history behind it in Asia.
The home of modern sports betting is in the motherland of football: England. Here, on home turf, bets have been being placed on horse races since the beginning of the 19th Century, with Welsh miners some of the first to move the gambling concept over to football. To this day, the fascination with sports betting is still going strong; thanks to the wealth of options now available online, it is now more prevalent than ever – and generating billions for the economy every single year.
With various possibilities for wagering – from the number of goals in a football game to the winner of a race – more high-profile players are trying their hand at betting on their favourite sports than ever before, and even those who know little about the sport in question could stand to make a tidy profit. Some say it’s down to luck; however, it is important to use a reputable and licensed bookmaker such as the UK licensed 888sport – which is a quickly gaining a great reputation within the industry.
Celebrity fans
Sports betting is certainly not going anywhere anytime soon, and with a host of celebrities, millionaires and billionaires all claiming to be fans, this pastime of the rich and famous will likely see its popularity continue to soar. Famous people rumoured to be regular sports betters include Charlie Sheen, Matt Damon, Ashton Kutcher, 50 Cent and Charles Barkley.
In fact, in preparation for the film “Rounders”, Matt Damon admits that he would regularly place an eye-watering £25,000 on a single bet. He had a lot to learn in terms of gambling, and doing so enabled him to gain valuable insight into the role he was to play in the film.
Since only a few celebrities will openly admit to partaking in sports betting, the numbers of those we don’t know about is likely to be far higher. Celebrities, like all of us, want to be entertained and amused in their free time – and, like all keen gamblers, they enjoy the tension, adrenaline, and of course, the thrill of winning. Since they usually have a large fortune to gamble with in the first place, it is relatively easy for them to quickly win and lose large sums of money in sports betting – but luckily for them, they have the money to burn.
In contrast to high-rolling film stars and actors, athletes are prohibited by contract from participating in sports betting due to the possibility that match-fixing could occur. Even so, it has been known to happen regardless of whether or not they have attempted to place bets themselves – good relationships and contacts throughout sports clubs alone are enough for fixing to occur.
From Michael Jordan to Floyd Mayweather, and even Queen Elizabeth II (horse racing) The list of celebrity sports betting fans is endless – and if you’re partial to a flutter or two yourself, it’s not hard to see why. From the nail biting, edge-of-the-seat tension as you wait for the results to roll in, to the extra money in your bank account, there’s a lot to love about sports betting – and while you may not be willing to place as large a sum as some, there’s no reason you can’t get a slice of the action, too.
Please gamble responsibly (18+ UK) – check age restrictions before participating
