If prostitution is the oldest profession, gambling is certainly the oldest hobby—In fact, there have been many famous gamblers through history. Most ancient civilizations show signs of just how far back playing games for money goes. Games of chance played on tiles were discovered dating back from Ancient China while the oldest six-sided die was found in Egypt, proving they liked a punt over there as well.
Here’s a rundown of ten of the most famous gamblers through history (And even a surprising meal we got from them!)
Apr 02, 2019 This list of celebrities that are or have reportedly been addicted to gambling is loosely ranked by fame and popularity. It's no secret that stars love to spend their money. It's common for famous people to purchase everything from luxury cars to real estate, but certain celebs gamble away their earnings at casinos and poker tournaments. Some of Hollywood's biggest movie stars have reportedly been addicted to gambling, including Ben Affleck, Charlie Sheen, and Tobey Maguire. Check out our list of 10 most famous real life celebrities that were reported to have an addiction to gambling. The president of the UFC Dana White is very famous for his gambling habits. He is actually very good at gambling, and has reported that some nights he walks away with up to $5 million just from playing blackjack.
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (Emperor Claudius)
(10 BC – 54 AC)
Amarillo Slim is the best gambler ever. No one else comes close. Slim was a professional poker player from Texas and became the most famous gambler in the world. But while he always stayed in touch with poker, it was away from the felt that he really made a name for himself.
The Romans were such big fans of betting you can even find scenes of Romans wagering on animal fights carved into ancient pottery.
And no Roman was more into gambling than Emperor Claudius. As the uncle of Caligula, he was decreed emperor by the Praetorian guard after the infamous ruler was assassinated. Even though he was technically in charge, he didn’t really have much to do, so he spent his free time drinking and gambling.
He was so obsessed with it; he even had a carriage specifically outfitted with a topple-proof board so that he could continue playing with his buds on the go.
Emperor Claudius organized and attended all types of games, from chariot races to gladiatorial fights. And he was all for the spectacle. He once set up an almost 20,000 strong mock battle in the harbor at Ostia when a misguided orca got stuck in the bay. The navy was instructed to attack the whale, losing a ship in the process.
Oh, and he literally wrote the book on Roman games and dice—Talk about famous gamblers through history!
John Montagu
(1718 – 1792)
Many hundreds of years later we get to John Montagu, who served as the British Secretary of State and the First Lord of the Admiralty during his lifetime.
He was such a dedicated gambler, that he would rarely leave the table during a game. He’d sit at the table so long, that he would often miss meals. On one occasion he asked for a piece of salt beef between two pieces of toasted bread (so that he wouldn’t get the grease from the meat on his fingers). Did we forget to mention, that John Montagu had a title? He was the 4th Earl of Sandwich.
The Earl’s friends would later ask for “the same as Sandwich” and the snack later got shorted simply to the sandwich. Who knew we had card games and gambling to thank for sandwiches?!
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova de Seingalt
(1725 – 1798)
A true renaissance man: professional adventurer, writer, librarian, law clerk, violinist, mathematician and businessman—You could probably guess, he was also a famous gambler through history. Giacomo Casanova was many things, but the two things that stayed constant throughout his life were womanizing and gambling.
Trained by professional gamblers and cheats during his teen years, he had plenty of ups and downs during his gambling career. Early on he bet on games such as faro and piquet to earn money quickly when he needed it.
In his 30s he moved to Paris, where he convinced King Louis XV to start the first lottery in France. It was designed to raise money for the military school in Paris, but it turned into a very profitable venture for both of them, earning them each about 300,000 francs.
Queen Marie-Antoinette
(1755-1793)
Staying in France, only a few years later we find the original party girl, Ms. Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, better known as Queen Marie-Antoinette. The last French Queen was a huge fan of gambling.
At the time, aristocrats were forbidden to engage in trade, so gambling was one of the only honorable ways to make some extra cash. The Queen’s own mother taught her to gamble while still in the Austrian court. And she was good at it.
Marie-Antoinette took part in plenty of extravagant behavior; hunting in the Bois de Boulogne, spending heavily on clothing and sleigh racing, but her favorites pastime was probably playing and wagering on cards.
The Queen hosted nightly games but as her debts started to mount, King Louis XVI decided to put an end to it. She begrudgingly consented, but only on the agreement that she was allowed to play one more game. Being the bad-ass she was, she pushed it as far as she could and allowed the final game to go on for three solid days.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756 – 1791)
As you can see, there clearly wasn’t much to do during the mid-18th century. And almost everyone ended up taking part in gambling in one form or another.
Another intrepid gambler was Mozart. Although a prolific musician at the time, he never did secure a permanent court term. So, in order to maintain a high standard of living, he needed plenty of extra cash.
He also taught music lessons to children and gambled to keep up appearances. This allowed him to move in aristocratic circles and to secure future projects.
Another composer at the time, the Italian Gioachino Rossini took it just one step further and created a casino in his opera house. He even sent the ballet dancers to perform in his casino during intermission.
James Butler Hickok
(1837 – 1876)
Jumping over the pond to the infamous town of Deadwood, South Dakota where murder was rampant and justice sparse. In this bizarre settlement in the mid-1800s you’d find “Wild Bill,” James Butler Hickok, who became synonymous with the wild west.
Born in Illinois, he worked as a lawman in the frontier territories and played his part in the US Civil War, making his name as a gunfighter and a scout.
A big fan of settling disputes with a duel, which he obviously always won, he was also big on a gamble. Poker was his game, but he made a lot of enemies as a war hero, and for this reason he insisted on sitting with his back to the wall when he was playing, so that he could keep his eye open for possible enemies.
On a fateful night in 1876, this position wasn’t possible, but the game was too good to miss out on. So, he took a seat with his back to the entrance at his favorite saloon in town, Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon No. 10 and started playing poker. During the game a local vigilante, Jack McCall, who had been slighted by Hickok the previous day, entered the bar and shot him at point-blank range in the back of the head.
Wild Bill died on the spot, in the middle of the hand, dropping his cards on the floor: an ace and an eight, which since then has become known as “the dead man’s hand”. He was later buried in the same plot as Calamity Jane.
In 1979, James Hickok was inducted into the poker hall of fame, 103 years after his passing. These days you can see him brought back to life by Keith Carradine on HBO’s appropriately named show, Deadwood.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882 – 1945) delivers one of his Fireside Chats in the 1930’s.
(1882-1945)
FDR will go down in history as one of the most successful presidents in US history. But did you know he was a huge fan of gambling? As with our previous subjects, Franklin D. Roosevelt was a bit fan of Poker. But unlike many others on this list, he was never a big fan of high stakes.
A few times a week he would organize a game with his associates on the second floor White House study. The very room where he would sit to give his famous ‘fireside chats’. In fact, during these talks you can actually hear the clickety-clack of poker chips which he used to sooth himself during the popular radio broadcasts.
His poker table would often be filled with well-known makers and shakers of the day, including a weekly lunch and game with no other than Mark Twain.
One of FDRs best known federal programs, the New Deal, was apparently named after a new hand of poker rather than a new agreement, as many currently believe.
As mentioned before, he may have loved the thrill of the game, but he hated the idea of playing for high stakes. No matter how much his friends and associates pleaded, he refused to up the stakes above an ante of a dime. During a particularly bad run Attorney General Robert Jackson only lost $2.30 over a week.
His favorite games were seven-card stud with one-eyed jacks wild and Woolworth’s (where fives and tens were wild).
Frank Sinatra
(1915-1998)
This one may come as no surprise to you, but Old Blue Eyes was a huge fan of a casino. A leader of the Rat Pack and the original cast of Ocean’s Eleven, much of his time was spent in the Sin City. He first performed in Las Vegas at the Desert Inn in 1951.
As a cultural icon, he actually helped to create the glitzy image of Las Vegas as a cultural institution, with regular performances at the Sands. From Vegas to Tahoe, he has a go at every table in Nevada.
By 1960 he wanted to his own piece of the pie and started his very own casino, Cal Neva. The casino was on the shores of Lake Tahoe and attracted the likes of Lucille Ball, Joe DiMaggio, Lena Horne and Marilyn Monroe.
On his passing, the lights of the Strip were dimmed as a final tribute.
Charles Bukowski
(1920-1994)
An American icon, Bukowski’s writing epitomized L.A.’s 1970’s ‘everyman’ more than anyone else of the period.
His work often focused on the risk of gambling, both literally and in life. Books like “Ham on Rye”, Post Office” and “Hollywood” all touched on this topic. He even had a poem called “Gamblers”.
In his own life Bukowski spent a decade as a filling clerk, he then decided to take a chance on life and become a handicapper at the Hollywood Park racetrack. Unlike everyone else on this list, his game of choice was horseracing. Despite what you might assume, Bukowski was incredibly risk adverse. He never placed a bet on a gut feeling, but rather on well researched statistics.
He once said, “If you don’t gamble, you’ll never win”. Bukowski stated that he had no desire for a speech at his funeral other than to say he was “successful on betting on horses”.
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer
(1937-2005)
Probably one of the lesser known individuals on our list, but none-the-less one of the most interesting. Kerry Packer encompassed everything it means to be a gambler.
Packer was a successful Australian media mogul, best known for establishing the World Series Cricket. There are countless stories of his crazy antics.
One of the best-known stories includes a toss of coin. While playing at the Stratosphere Casino, Packer was approached by a Texan oil tycoon who tried to get him to play a game of poker.
When he refused the Texan stated, “I’m worth $60 million!”, Packer quipped back, “head or tails?” suggesting a $120 million dollar wager. The Texan realized he’d more than met his match and politely backed down.
Other stories have him losing $28 million over a week in London (the biggest recorded loss in English history) and getting a payout of $33 million during one night at the MGN in Vegas.
These are some of the famous gamblers through history who made the cut, but many more could have been included. It just goes to show that some of the greatest minds, richly-talented souls and most influential people in history were as partial to a flutter as the rest of us.
A casino is a place where anyone can try their luck, feel the taste of victory and greatness, win a huge amount of money, or get bitterness and resentment, losing everything. There are many stories about those who were lucky and turned from poor into rich men and vice versa. Here are those who were able to leave their mark on the history of gambling forever.
Joseph Jagger’s Team
In 1873, there were already many gambling houses operating. In one of them, Monte Carlo, a team of workers rested, with Joseph Jagger among them. He figured out an idea that in different places, the ball moves on the wheel differently. It is true because, in every gambling spot, the mechanics of external roulettes had slight differences.
The young worker decided to study the work of roulette thoroughly. For some time, he observed and collected data, and as a result, his efforts were crowned with success of winning $325,000. It is not known precisely how Joseph’s team managed to win, but nowadays, players at every casino tell this story to each other during the game.
Ron Harris
The programmer, working at Nevada State Gambling, believed that he could beat slot machines. He used his skills to take thousands of dollars at a casino in Las Vegas.
He also had an accomplice Reid Errol McNeill, and together, they won the $100,000 jackpot at Bally’s Atlantic City in New Jersey. As a professional casino player, Ron Harris knew that the casinos themselves did not know about his fraud so that he could make his fortune.
Dominic LoRiggio
Dominic LoRiggio is known for many nicknames, such as ‘Man with a Golden Hand’ and ‘Dominator’ that he earned over the years of shooting controlled by a dice game. It is a technique that helped him to get the shots he needed in the game.
He developed precise methods for controlling the game of dice, which included setting the dice in a certain way, grabbing and throwing them into the air so that they stayed together. This special technique allows the dice to land on the table gently.
Ida Summers
Ida was a woman who, at first glance, would never be caught in casino fraud, but in the 60s and 70s, she ran a casino, earning tens of thousands of dollars by using her cunning and volatility. She specialized in ‘manual fortune telling’ and ‘coolers’ at blackjack tables.
This technique included hiding a card that was already brought to the table or removed from the game. It will then be a deft hand move back to the table to benefit the player. Ida could carry out her movements effortlessly and unnoticed, and for a long time, she remained invincible.
Richard Marcus
Richard Marcus is one of the most successful players in the world, and he upgraded from being extremely poor to becoming a well-known gambling celebrity, thanks to his ideas. He named his best Savannah roulette strategy, which was to bet on chips with a low face value, such as three bets of $5 each, to avoid any attention. If Richard Marcus won, he would show excitement like a regular player. The dealer wondered why he was so happy with such a modest victory, and that is when Marcus stroke next.
Some well-known celebrities are regular visitors to both land-based gambling establishments and online casinos. If your goal is to become a famous poker player yourself, you may start anytime.
Compared to land-based casinos, playing in an online casino is much more convenient and enjoyable, because you do not have to leave your cozy home. There are hundreds of online casinos, and making your choice is often a daunting task. According to OnlineCasinoGems, Captain Jack Casino provides one of the widest online opportunities for all players.
Doyle Brunson
Old Doyle was at the forefront of the WSOP. He won the World Cup twice (in 1976 and 1977), although at that time only a couple of dozen players participated in the tournament, and the winner took all the prize money. ‘In those years, I would never have believed that the Main Event WSOP would bring together thousands of participants. Then it seemed to us that if at least a hundred people play in the championship, it will be a success’, Brunson recalls with a smile.
According to Gambling News Magazine, even after forty years, Doyle is very good at the poker table. He won his last bracelet in 2005, and the last time he got into the WSOP Main Event prize area was 2013. In addition, Brunson was a regular member of poker television shows, where he showed some cool games. However, in 2018, this live poker legend, two-time world champion, and holder of ten WSOP championship bracelets, announced that he was completing his career as a tournament player.
Ben Affleck
Hollywood actor Ben Affleck is rightfully considered one of the most famous gamblers in the world. According to the New York Post, his incredible card-counting abilities first surfaced while playing blackjack at Las Vegas Hard Rock Casino. That night, the player was lucky to win 800 thousand dollars.
The next catchy game happened in 2014 at the Caesar Windsor Hotel and Casino in Ontario. This time, Affleck was accused of counting cards. A security officer approached him with a delicate offer to leave the table and try his luck in another game.
From a legal point of view, card counting is not a fraud. Each player who has a photographic memory has the right to calculate which cards left the game and which remained. However, owners of gambling houses who suffer significant losses from such ‘geniuses’ do not allow such an approach. Therefore, the actor still had to leave the place.
The ban on visiting the casino upset not only Affleck but also casino employees. After all, he once gave 145 thousand dollars to the workers of a gambling house where he won one night.
Famous Gamblers 2019
Toby Maguire
Famous Gamblers Who Lost Everything
Like many other movie stars, Toby Maguire is a casino fan who has a weakness for high-stakes poker. According to Independent, in 2011, Toby Maguire was considered one of the best poker players. Soon, he was forced to say goodbye to the amount of $311,000, which he won from the organizer of the financial pyramid.
Edward Thorp
Edward Thorp is the ‘father’ of the card counting strategy and the author of the acclaimed book ‘Defeat the Dealer.’ The book describes a strategy for counting dozens and other cards.
Ken Aston
Ken Aston, a student of Thorp, became the first known blackjack player. Aston has performed on many television channels. He is also the author of several blackjack strategy books, including ‘Million Dollar Blackjack.’
Final Thoughts
Poker and gambling are usually that type of entertainment that can be perceived as a pleasant pastime, an additional income, and an opportunity to gain fame. These ten celebrities made their ways to leave a trail on the gambling records.
Hence many players simply can’t resist poker and roulette, burning all their free time behind them only. If you want to become a decent poker player, the best way to boost your skills is to buy some chips and practice at home.