Many online betting sites and casinos target the general public, which is the easiest demographic for customer acquisitions. But with features like VIP clubs, they also clearly cater for high-rolling players who can play with a lot more stake than your average Joe.
Gambling is accessible to anyone from all walks of life. However, it’s clear that considering the earnings of stars, this form of leisure is more attainable than for the average Joe. Also, there’s no longer a need to step out of the house and into the view of the paparazzi. With a plethora of licensed casinos that readily accept bank transfers, like those found on this page: https://bstcasinos.com/bank-transfer-casinos/, gambling could become a daily ritual.
Stars from Ben Affleck to Charlie Sheen, and sportsmen like Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley have all been associated with some high-stakes gambling, and not all of it successful.
Some celebrities from the world of music have also been caught up in the world of gambling to the point of needing help with addiction. Here are some famous gambling musicians who have struggled to step away from the action.
Gladys Knight
Famous singer Gladys Knight admitted in her autobiography that she had struggled with gambling addiction. Over ten years, Knight, who is known as the “Empress of Soul” and who had hits spanning three decades from the 1960s to 1980s struggled to pull away from the baccarat table.
While she was a frequent sports bettor too, the drain came through baccarat, for which she sought help. Some of her largest reported gambling loss at casinos ran upwards of $60,000 in one night. Knight shared that it was because gambling was keeping her away from caring for her son that forced her to seek help, rather than the money that was disappearing.
50 Cent
Another famous music star who has been known to throw down some big bets is 50 Cent. One of the biggest, most famous of all celebrity bets was the $1 million he staked on boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr to beat Oscar de le Hoya.
Another of the major wagers made by 50 Cent was a reported half million on the New York Giants to win the 2012 NFC Championship over the San Francisco 49ers.
Whether or not he has struggled with gambling addiction is up for debate, but he filed for bankruptcy in 2016, which was cited as being down to his lavish lifestyle and legal battles. But a lyric from his 2007 song “What You Got” does feature the line “I got a gambling problem”.
Lemmy Kilmister
Motörhead legend Lemmy had a great affinity with gambling. The frontman passed away in 2015 at the age of 70 and he is said to have enjoyed gambling so much that he wrote songs about it. The most famous of all of those is the classic rock juggernaut “Ace of Spades” which boasts the carefree lines “you win some, lose some, all the same to me / the pleasure is to play”.
Jay-Z
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter probably has a bankroll that the average person can’t even fathom. The former president of Def Jam Records has proven to be a dab hand as a businessman, but like many people, the casino environment can make even the most financially sound person lose a bit of a grip on reality.
There has long been a rumour that Jay-Z blew $500,000 on a single hand of poker on a stay in Las Vegas. While regular casino visits from him reportedly still happen, with blackjack and poker being his fancy.
What Gambling Addiction Does
People tend to only think of the financial side of gambling addiction, but many other areas of life are also affected by it. When it comes to famous musicians and other celebrities, fame and fortune can distort realities and wreak havoc.
Along with financial ruin, other areas like relationships and mental health can take a huge hit for anyone who struggles with gambling. Depression and anxiety are commonly associated with gambling addiction and it can also be a huge distraction in life, leading to an inability to focus on work or family life.
How to Manage Responsible Gaming
We understand that most people turn to gambling for the thrill of it, so we won’t offer up generic advice like “play with a cool head” and so on. Experts like Jack Hamilton, whose portfolio can be found here: https://bstcasinos.com/author/jack-hamilton/ and includes reviews of dozens of licensed casinos, recommend setting up a personal bankroll and sticking to a specific percentage for each spin in a casino slot.
Yet, this can also fall short because nothing stops you from depositing more and more when you’re losing. This is very poor gaming behaviour, and in such instances, it’s crucial to find the strength to stop. If you struggle to do so, it’s important to reach out to organisations that provide assistance to problem gamblers. You can usually find links to them at the bottom of licensed gaming sites.
