History’s Most Famous Celebrity Bettors

Sports betting is enjoyed by millions of punters and sporting enthusiasts across the globe.

Not surprisingly, this is something not just enjoyed by the “average Joe” next door, but also by many celebrities and professional athletes and sports people.

Below is our list of history’s most famous sports bettors.

Michael Jordan

Basketball’s ultimate GOAT tops our list: Michael Jordan.

While Jordan’s sports betting success never quite matched his incredible performance in the ring, rumour has it the NBA star’s early retirement was in reality a secret suspension resulting from his gambling and betting shenanigans.

50 Cent

Famous rapper 50 Cent is well-known for his bragging about massive bets.

According to the star, his alleged $500 win from the Giants beating the 49ers had resulted from him paying heed to the “voices” in his head instructing him to wager on the Giants.

He famously tweeted about this back in 2012.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Boxing star Floyd Mayweather is famous for reigning victorious inside the ring as well as out.

Mayweather enjoys tweeting about his seven-figure bets, and typically posts the betting slips to prove his success.

In November 2012, he tweeted about how a $1,1 million-dollar bet on Oregon had resulted in him pocketing a million dollars more.

Charlie Sheen

While Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen was reportedly being paid a whopping $1.8 million for every episode of Two and a Half Men, he enjoyed some success also as a sports bettor.

He’s also rumoured to have partnered with a famous sports betting website.

Pete Rose

Pete Rose, a former Cincinnati Reds manager and player, in 1989 made news headlines when he became the first baseball player in 40 years to receive a lifetime ban from the sport.

While Rose denied the allegation for all of 14 years, he finally admitted to his sins in his 2004 autobiography, My Prison without Bars.

In his book, Rose revealed that he had in actual fact wagered on his team ahead of every single game he had played during his time with the Reds.

Charles Barkley

Barkley is a self-admitted study for betting smart.

Following a two-year break from betting on sports, Barkley says he’s now back on a winning streak.

Jaromir Jagr

Jaromir Jagr was the highest-paid NHL player of them all back in the 1990s.

He famously supplemented his income by betting on sports in secret.

Unfortunately for the Czech right winger, he’s managed to rack up a crazy $500,000 in losses with a famous online sportsbook. After he failed to settle his debt, the sportsbook leaked his shenanigans to the press.

Bryan “Birdman” Williams

Rapper Birdman loves to go public about his big bets.

In 2018, he famously bet against fellow-rapper AR-ab regarding that year’s Super Bowl between the Eagles and the Patriots.

Unlucky for Birdman, the Patriots lost 33 to 41 against the Eagles, leaving the popular rapper $200,000 out of pocket.

Paul Hornung

A former pro American football player, Paul Hornung ran into a spot of bad luck when he was suspended for an entire season (1963) for betting on NFL and NCAA games.