Gambling passion is universal and it doesn’t recognize borders or races. People from all over the world enjoy casino gaming, so you can find gamblers among politicians, actors, doctors, athletes, and all other occupations.
Italian football players perfectly fit the system as they are known for having a serious gambling affinity and prowess. Some of the most famous gamblers among athletes are Italians who tend to visit online casinos on a regular basis.
We decided to write an entire article about Italian football players who play in online casinos, so get ready to learn a lot of interesting details about them.
Where It All Started
Italian soccer players used to gamble well before the age of online gambling platforms. Although there were no online casinos that accept idebit, some of the old masters of the game used to be frequent visitors of traditional casinos and bookmakers. Paolo Rossi is the first among many as he was accused of taking part in a major betting scandal back in 1980. The man who led Italy to the world championship in 1982 was banned from football for two years, but he claimed not to have anything with the scandal.
An even bigger football gambling affair took place in 2011 after a number of football-related figures were arrested or placed under official scrutiny by Italian police for alleged match-fixing. The scandal featured a few very notable football names such as Mauro Bressan and Giuseppe Signori.
This affair shook the entire football world, while several teams and dozens of individuals paid drastic penalties for their involvement in the match-fixing scandal.
5 Italian Footballers Who Love Gambling
A lot of football players in Italy gamble incognito, but some of them do it publicly and they are not afraid of showing it. A few names stand out here, so we decided to compile a list of the most popular soccer players in Italy who love online gambling.
- Gianluigi Gigi Buffon
Gigi Buffon is one of the best goalkeepers in the history of football, but he is not only good at protecting the net. On the contrary, Gigi is known for his poker skills and the ability to handle cards just as calmly as if he was between the bars. The oldest member of the Juventus team enjoys all sorts of online games, but poker remains his heavy favorite. Gigi doesn’t invest too much in online casino games, but he does play them on a regular basis.
- Mario Balotelli
The bad boy of Italian soccer represents an extremely interesting player and person. Mario Balotelli has never been shy of grabbing the attention of the media and everyone else around him, which is what makes him so funny and interesting. Besides that, Mario often plays online and casino games – not because he needs money, but rather because of the lack of adventure and excitement. He also gambles in traditional casinos, while the $25 thousand roulette table win in 2011 made him a famous Italian gambler.
- Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti is a true legend of Italian soccer and probably the most loved footballer ever in Rome. Totti spent his entire career in Rome where he has won one Serie A trophy as well as a couple of Italian cup trophies. He also won the World Cup with the national team in 2006.
But that’s not all you need to know about Francesco. Besides football, Totti enjoys playing poker on digital gambling platforms. It is his true passion and the reason why Totti even acts as the official promoter of several online casinos.
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Alright, we know that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not actually Italian, but he has been playing in Italy for more than 10 years and fans pretty much consider him to be a domestic player. This is why we have to mention that Zlatan makes a hell of a gambler who also happens to promote Swedish casino operators.
- Cristiano Ronaldo
The last name on our list is reserved for Cristiano Ronaldo, aka one of the best football players in history. As a member of Juventus, Cristiano scored countless goals and ripped off quite a few online casinos thanks to his excellent poker-playing skills.
The bottom line
Italians are not only amazing football players but also passionate gamblers who love spending time in real-world and online casinos. Of course, it doesn’t mean that every soccer player from Italy is gambling, but those who do are really crazy about it.
We showed you a brief history of gambling among Italian footballers and mentioned some of the most notable names. Do you think other names deserve to be on our list? Let us know in the comments!
AUTHOR BIO
James Collins is a football fan and a blogger who writes about betting and online casino gambling. He is a prolific writer who focuses on all gambling-related topics. Besides blogging, James loves traveling, surfing, and reading 19th Century novelists.