Date: 18th December 2019 at 10:56am
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Here are the footballers who are known to love gambling. Learn which player hits the poker table frequently with us.

Football and gambling have a strong connection in the UK. Most football fans fill their weekend with watching the big games, heading to their local fortress and putting on an accumulator or two. But it is not just the fans that like to get involved. There are many footballers who also like to gamble.

Unfortunately, some of these footballers like to gamble on football, which is prohibited when they have the opportunity to influence the final result. Some players have gotten around their gambling bans in crafty, inventive and damn right funny fashion. From reserve goalkeepers eating pies live on Sky Sports to Matt Le Tissier trying to win a bet on a throw-in but failing to kick it out of play, the stories are out there.

But who are the football players that like to gamble in general? Read on to learn more.

1. David Beckham

Probably not the first name on your lips when thinking about players who like a flutter, but it is true. Beckham has been known to visit the best casinos in Vegas. But he does more than that. He has partnered with some of the leading casinos in Asia and is receiving big money for his endorsement. Rumour has it that he even organises meet-and-greet sessions with fans at these casinos.

2. Tomas Brolin

If you are a Leeds United fan, you won’t be staring at your screen wondering who Tomas Brolin is. The Swedish ex-midfielder also played in Italy and appeared in a World Cup semi-final. His career was cut short by injury but has made a new career since then – as a professional poker player. He has participated in some big tournaments and frequents the European tour. Although he has never won a competition, he has reportedly made a good income from is gambling.

3. Gerard Pique

This Spaniard, Gerard Pique, is well-decorated in the footballing world and he has more than held his own in the world of poker. He also appeared on the European Tour in the Barcelona leg and won over $50,000. In 2013, he also entered the world series, but since then he has not kept up with his poker playing skills.

4. Teddy Sheringham

Teddy has won the Premier League three times and the Champions League once, but that hasn’t stopped him aiming for more success on the poker table. The biggest achievement of his on the poker scene was at the no limit event in EPT Vilamoura. At the final table, he finished fifth which equated to just under $100,000 – only a reported third of his total earnings from poker.

Why do footballers like to gamble? Most of them get into it seriously after their playing careers have ended, which is presumed to be them replacing the buzz and excitement of football with similar levels of excitement experienced when gambling.