What is the link between sports stars and gambling?
Sunday 18th January 2009
As news that a UK premiership football star lost over £1 million at his local casino through the week hits the headlines, many people are wondering exactly why sports stars and gambling seem to go hand in hand. We have seen on numerous occasions in the past the likes of UK football stars, American football stars and high-profile participants from many other sports hit the headlines with their gambling antics. However, football players do seem to be in the headlines more than any other sport with regards to gambling!
In the week that Manchester City have made a massive £108 million bid for Brazilian star Kaka with a rumoured £500,000 weekly wage packet perhaps it is easier to understand the relationship between football and gambling. While a footballer's life has changed substantially over the last decade they still have substantial free time on their hands and stars as young as 18 and 19 are bringing home upwards of £10,000 a week.
While a £5,000 gambling bender would seem like the end of the world to a normal man on the street to these football stars it is literally pocket money. However, unless the authorities are unable to grab hold of young stars at an early age there is the potential for substantial losses as we saw earlier in the week.
As news that a UK premiership football star lost over £1 million at his local casino through the week hits the headlines, many people are wondering exactly why sports stars and gambling seem to go hand in hand. We have seen on numerous occasions in the past the likes of UK football stars, American football stars and high-profile participants from many other sports hit the headlines with their gambling antics. However, football players do seem to be in the headlines more than any other sport with regards to gambling!