Plenty of celebrities indulge in countless hobbies in the circle of the rich and famous. One of these hobbies is gambling. Although negative connotations have tainted the activity, it is said to be an enjoyable activity. However, more negative connotations have been added by emerging cases of betting addiction.
Gambling addiction is a condition where the person has an urge to gamble, and it is not controllable. As a result, the person’s personal and financial well-being suffers. Many factors – environmental, psychological, and genetic – influence it.
Famous personalities have also experienced this condition. Some of them are:
Ray Romano
Tongits are not part of the lineup Hollywood celebrities go to. These celebrities preferred to frequent underground games instead of an online casino. One of them is Ray Romano.
He is best known for his stints in movies and television, In Everyone Loves Raymond and the Ice Age movies. Since the early 1990s, Romano has been quite candid about his gambling addiction problems.
His stand-up comedy earnings were part of his losses to gaming addictions. Gamblers Anonymous helped him, and ever since 1998, Romano has been sober. He has admitted that hundreds of thousands of dollars have been lost from him. The addiction has impacted his life negatively, causing him to lie to his wife, shame, and depression.
Michael Jordan
The prowess Michael Jordan has shown on the basketball court is reflected by his approach to gambling outside the court. People know him to be someone who bets on everything. He bet on golf, cards, and even his games. However, when his retirement in 1993 came, rumours speculated about his problem and allegedly believed that his gaming was the root of his retirement. His gambling losses are rumoured to be as high as millions of dollars. One night, he reportedly blew off over a million dollars. He has never publicly admitted to struggling with a gambling problem, but his gambling habits have helped shape his public image.
Tobey Maguire
Spider-Man made Tobey Maguire’s name. He was caught in his web of high-stakes, underground poker games alongside celebrities and A-listers. One of the organizers was sued for overseeing an illegal gaming ring, and as a result, several lawsuits were thrown at him for the winnings he had made from his game. The scandal then tainted his reputation and exposed the depth of his gambling addiction.
Player X from the movie Molly’s Game was rumored to be modeled after him and a few other celebrity poker players who had played in the games Molly Bloom organized.
Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley appeared in the movie Like Mike. He was a basketball player and has admitted to having gaming addiction problems. His gaming addiction problems began as a teenager. He has been open about his problem. He has disclosed that he has lost over $10 million in gaming-related money.
In 2000, Barkley went to rehab. In 2008, Wynn Las Vegas casino filed a civil complaint against him for not paying off a $400,000 debt from October 200. He has also claimed to have lost $2.5 million within two hours.
George Clooney
The husband of Attorney Amal Clooney, director, and actor George Clooney became famous for starring in the Ocean series of films. He has lost and won significant amounts of money from gaming, which notably includes $250,000 in one sitting.
In 2005, he was involved in an illegal poker ring., after becoming obsessed with the game. For his involvement, he was sued. The same year, he was in recovery and talked about his addiction to help others.
Wrapping Up
Stories about celebrities’ struggle with betting addiction serve as a reminder that they are human and that if they are victorious in their battle, then they can also overcome it. Moreover, they mirror the extent to which gaming addiction can destroy one’s life if you let it take over it. As a result, we should learn to set boundaries and not let things become the center of our lives.