The sports world and the gambling world are very much linked together.
Historically, they have been linked for at least several centuries. This led to an economic relationship as both industries helped each other grow and develop over the years.
As a result, the sports fanbase and the gaming fanbase are pretty similar. Not only are many sports fans avid gamers, but many athletes are as well.
Many athletes love gambling and visiting a land-based or online casino. Some of them love casino activities so much that they even endorsed a casino game or company.
This article will focus on some of the world’s most famous and respected athletes who have shown their love for casino gaming.
The link between sports and gambling
Gambling and sports appear to have always been linked. Some historians argue that even in Ancient Greece mixing sports and gambling was a common practice.
Historic records and artifacts suggest that Ancient Greek sports fans took part in sports betting games. If this is true, then sports and gambling have been linked for over 2,000 years.
Of course, the link between both sectors became more obvious during the late 20th century and early 21st century.
From the late 20th century onwards, casino games and venues were legalized in a large number of countries and American states.
Their legalization boosted casino games’ popularity and athletes’ public endorsements of these games.
The creation and development of online casinos added to the already growing popularity of casino gaming.
Nowadays, gamers can access thousands and thousands of casino games within seconds. They can do so from almost anywhere in the world and can try out as many versions and variations of a game as they want.
The success of online gaming is apparent from the number of online casinos that now exist. Gamers can use online comparators to find the perfect online casino for them.
Athletes who love casino games and activities
Five of the world’s most famous athletes will be mentioned and focused on in this part of the article.
- Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous soccer stars, if not the most famous living soccer star in the world. His incredible career and perfectionist work ethic have made him a living legend and icon for many soccer fans.
But the Portuguese sports star is also an avid casino gamer. He has previously said that playing poker games in his room helped him learn and improve his English at the beginning of his career.
His love for poker grew from there and has not diminished since. It led him to sign an endorsement contract with an online poker platform that specializes in online variants of famous poker games.
- Conor McGregor
The MMA fighter Conor McGregor has earned the respect and admiration of his peers and of the sports’ world through his extraordinary wins. But the Irish athlete is also a normal gamer who loves trying out different online casinos.
He has endorsed a number of online gambling platforms and has attended a series of casino openings.
- Michael Jordan
The retired NBA star is still an example and a beloved figure in the history of basketball. He is known, and was known during his career, for being a fan of poker games.
He is now enjoying retirement by playing regular poker games. He plays online, at home and in famous land-based casinos.
To this day, he regularly challenges other celebrities to a poker game.
- Tiger Woods
The American golf star is a fan of casinos as well. He can usually be seen playing in Las Vegas’ most famous and exclusive casinos.
- Rafael Nadal
The tennis star is no exception. Nadal loves casino games, in particular poker.
Just like Ronaldo, he has endorsed a famous online poker platform.
Athletes who endorsed casino games
Some gamers might be interested in trying out casino games that their favorite players love or have endorsed. Here are some of the games that you can try out now.
You can use one of the best comparators on the market, bonusfinder.ie, to find the right casino for you to play these games on.
Many athletes who love gambling and casino activities look to websites like these to discover the latest online casinos and casino games.
Here are some of the athlete-endorsed casino games on the market:
- Brian Lara: Sport Legends
- Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven Jackpot
- Mike Tyson’s Knockout game
- Nyjah Huston Skate for Gold
Final thoughts
There are many more athletes who have or continue to endorse casino games and companies. As the industry continues to grow and attract new players each year, the number of athletes who turn to casino activities will likely increase as well.
Casino gamers in the next generation of athletes will also likely emerge over the next few years.