Top 50 Richest Gamblers in the World 2024

Full List of 50 Richest Gamblers in 2024

Some were born with money, others earned it by being smarter than the rest. In this article, we’ll take a look at the 50 richest gamblers in the world – and we’ll tell you how they cemented a place among the best of the bunch.

Who are the Richest Gamblers on Earth?

Let’s take a quick look at the 50 richest gamblers in the world. To learn more about these people, check out our in-depth bios of the world's richest gamblers where we explore who they are and how they made their money.

1. Andrew Beal

Andrew Beal became one of the world’s richest people as the founder of Beal Financial Corporation, a banking organization. He was ranked as the world’s 170 richest person in 2023, and is known to be a huge poker fan. His love for the game earned him the nickname of “Poker’s Biggest Whale” – he even had a legendary poker showdown against poker legend Phil Ivey.

• Andrew Beal net worth: $14.8 billion
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $11.7 million on a single hand

2. Kerry Packer (†)

Australian businessman Kerry Packer became one of the richest people in the world, boasting a net worth of over $5 billion by the time of his death. Packer was known as a known gambler who used to tip thousands of dollars after a good roll. He spent millions of dollars of his fortune in land-based casinos all over the world.

• Kerry Packer net worth: $5.7 billion
• Game of choice: Blackjack
• Biggest win: $52 million over the span of 24 hours

3. Michael Jordan

Basketball legend Michael Jordan is one of the better-known athletes of all time. His trajectory with the Chicago Bulls earned him a spot as one of the greatest ballers to ever play the game, not only in the US, but in the whole world.

Jordan is known to be a highly competitive gambler. During his playing days, he would wager outrageous sums of money with his teammates. Card games were always his thing, but it’s said that he also enjoyed wagering in sports.

• Michael Jordan net worth: $3 Billion
• Game of choice: Card games & sports betting
• Biggest win: Unknown

4. Ed Craven

Craven is one of the youngest billionaires of all time. He is the co-founder of crypto gambling site Stake.com, as well as co-founder of Twitch’s main competitor: the streaming platform Kick.com, where gambling content creators are not only allowed, but also encouraged.

Craven is an active online gambler who uses his own platform to livestream himself playing a plethora of different games. He’s even streamed with Drake, who’s become one of Stake.com’s main ambassadors over the years.

• Ed Craven worth: $2.01 billion
• Game of choice: Slots
• Biggest win: $200,000 playing at Stake.com

5. Tony Bloom

Tony Bloom is the current owner of Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion. He’s also a well-known poker player that represented England in the Poker Nations Cup, and someone that has managed over 10 money finishes in the World Series of Poker.

He owns a betting syndicate that has sustained success over a large period of time. He also invests in properties. Both of these activities have allowed him to grow a fortune that surpasses one billion dollars.

• Tony Bloom net worth: $1.6 billion
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $975,000 AUD in the Aussie Millions $100,000 Challenge 2011

6. Bill Benter

Bill Benter developed algorithms for horse racing events that are still used to this day. He has a deep understanding of the craft, which have allowed him to harness a fortune that surpasses $1 billion in assets. He is a pioneering figure in the sports betting world, creating software that has allowed him to succeed together with a deeply analytical approach.

• Bill Benter net worth: $1 billion
• Game of choice: Horse race gambling
• Biggest win: Unknown

7. Edward Thorp

Edward Thorp is one of the few true gamblers that actually managed to figure a way to beat the house. He is a pioneer in the world of card counting and an expert mathematician. He is the author of Beat the Dealer, a book about card counting. His ability to wager smartly and strategically earned him the title of one of the greatest blackjack players of all time.

• Edward Thorp net worth: $800 million
• Game of choice: Blackjack
• Biggest win: Unknown

8. Cristiano Ronaldo

Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the game’s biggest names, and one of the most famous people in the world. Ronaldo amassed a fortune by playing for legendary football clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid. He has done something that few others could: worked on a personal brand that has become massive all over the world. He’s also a known poker player who has participated in multiple events throughout this football career.

• Cristiano Ronaldo net worth: $500 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: Unknown

9. Alan Woods (†)

Alan Woods was the king of quantitative betting, and one of the most successful poker players of all time. His success was only matched by the impact of his parties, who were known to be among the craziest events in their attendants’ lives. His ability to count cards made him one of the greatest gamblers of all time, and allowed him to amass a fortune worth over half a billion dollars by the time of his death.

He was also a very successful horse racing punter, who made a fortune based on wins of over $1 million per race.

• Alan Woods net worth: $500 million
• Game of choice: Blackjack and horse racing
• Biggest win: $2 million AUD on a single race

10. Dana White

UFC founder Dana White is an American businessman that founded the Ultiamte Figthing Championship and the Power Slap competition. His success eraned him a name among sports fans from all over the world. He is a very well-known gambler, and his money allows him to take massive risks that generally pay off. He has won millions of dollars playing blackjack.

• Dana White net worth: $500 million
• Game of choice: Blackjack
• Biggest win: He won millions at Palms Casino, where he was awarded a honorary championship belt.

11. Zeljko Ranogajec

Sports betting legend Zeljko Ranogajec is a man who likes to keep to himself. Born in Australia and son of Croatian migrants, he’s crafted a massive reputation for himself. He runs a sports betting operation that is said to be worth around 30% of all sports betting operations of Betfair in Australia. Sportsbooks give him rebates, and he wagers over $3 billion a year in return.

• Zeljko Ranogajec net worth: $410 million
• Game of choice: Sports betting
• Biggest win: $7.5 million playing keno

12. Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt is one of the most famous names in Hollywood, as well as one of the highest paid actors of all time. He may be renowned for his acting prowess and worldwide fame, but Pitt is also a known gambler with a knack for poker. However, it is not known how much money he’s won playing cards or any other casino games, as he keeps this part of his life private.

• Brad Pitt net worth: $400 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: Unknown

13. Paris Hilton

Heiress to the famous Hilton empire, Paris Hilton is one of the richest women in the world. She became famous for being a teenage model back in the 90s, and even though she’s gone through some scandals in her life, she remains one of the most successful businesswomen in the modern world.

• Paris Hilton net worth: $300 million
• Game of choice: Blackjack and poker
• Biggest win: Over $30,000 playing blackjack

14. Drake

Drake is a famous musician who has also developed a reputation as a gambling celebrity. He is the current ambassador of the online casino Stake.com, a brand he has represented since 2022. He frequently streams via Kick, Stake’s platform, where he gambles in slots, roulette, and other games.

• Drake net worth: $250 million
• Game of choice: Roulette
• Biggest win: $17 million on a single roulette spin

15. Ray Romano

Famous actor and TV personality Ray Romano, who is better known for his role as Raymond in the TV sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond, is also a well-known poker fan. He loves the game, although, in his own words, he doesn’t consider himself a good player.

• Ray Romano net worth: $200 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: Single hand worth$18,176 in a poker charity event

16. Billy Walters

Billy Walters is an American businessman and former car salesman that made a fortune on sports betting. His success has been so big that ESPN named him the most successful sports bettor of all time, but he built his fortune -the one he used to create a sports betting empire- by selling cars in his youth. Although involved in a controversial case that saw him serve some jail time, his unscathed legacy earns him a spot among the most famous gamblers of all time.

• Billy Walters net worth: $200 million
• Game of choice: Sports betting
• Biggest win: New Orleans NFL bet worth $3.5 million

17. Dan Bilzerian

Controversial poker player Dan Bilzerian has earned himself a reputation for having an extravagant lifestyle. He plays poker very aggressively, oftentimes recklessly. His money was inherited, as his father, Paul Bilzerian, was a famous corporate raider that did a lot of good business in the 1980s. He amassed a massive fortune that has earned Dan the ability to live a very comfortable life.

• Dan Bilzerian net worth: $200 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: “millions of dollars in a single poker session”, according to himself

18. Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher may be better known for his famous roles in TV shows in movies, especially his breakthrough role in the TV sitcom That 70s Show, but he is also a well-known figure in the sports betting world. He is very knowledgeable about college football, a discipline in which he often places bets in multiple events.

• Ashton Kutcher net worth: $200 million
• Game of choice: Sports betting
• Biggest win: $750,000 over a four-week period betting on college football

19. David Walsh

David Walsh is an Australian sports gambler and betting expert that made a fortune by creating a sports betting algorithm used in horse racing and other sports. He is a mathematician and businessman, as well as a professional gambler. However, he has also done a lot of philanthropic work in Australia, which earned him an Officer of the Order award in his home country.

• David Walsch net worth: $200 million
• Game of choice: Sports betting
• Biggest win: Unknown

20. Ben Affleck

You may know Ben Affleck as Batman or for one of his dozens of other roles, but the gambling world know him for his ability to play blackjack. It is said that Affleck has been banned by some Las Vegas Casinos for his ability to play blackjack, a game where his considered a skill card counter. As well as a blackjack player, Affleck is known to be a skilled poker player.

• Ben Affleck net worth: $150 million
• Game of choice: Blackjack
• Biggest win: $356,400 at the California State Poker Championship

21. Phil Ivey

Phil Ivey is one of the world’s most successful and skilled poker players. He has won 10 WSOP bracelets, making him a legend in the World Series of Poker. He was also intrudocued to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017 as soon as he turned 40, which is the minimum age required to be inducted. He won his first event in 2002, kickstarting more than a decade of successful poker that saw him earn his now legendary status.

• Phil Ivey net worth: $100 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $4 million AUD in the 2014 Aussie Millions LK Boutique $250,000 Challenge

22. Bill Kaplan

Kaplan is one of the MIT geniuses responsible for leading the most successful blackjack group of players of all time. He went to Harvard, one of the most prestigious universities in America, but took a break to gamble in Las Vegas. His success saw him amass a fortune of over $100 million. The movie “21” is about the success he and his team had in Las Vegas.

• Bill Kaplan net worth: $100 million
• Game of choice: Blackjack
• Biggest win: $10 million dollars in a single session

23. Chris Ferguson

Six-time WSOP winner Chris Ferguson is one of the biggest names in the world of competitive poker. He won his first competitive event in 1995, and plays quite a peculiar poker game that uses his mathematical skills as a catalyst to win games. He knows how to read a table better than most, but his controversial involvement with poker platform Full Tilt Poker saw him take a step back from the world of competitive poker games.

• Chris Ferguson net worth: $80 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $10 million in the $10,000 No Limit Texas Hold’em World Championship

24. Doyle Brunson (†)

Also known as “The Godfather of Poker”, Doyle Brunson was one of the most famous poker players of all time. Before he became a poker pro, he used to play basketball professionally in the United States. He wrote many books about poker and absolutely loved the world’s most famous card game, and he really knew how to get the best out of other players. He died in 2023.

• Doyle Brunson net worth: $75 million
• Game of choice:
• Biggest win: $1.19 million at the WPT Legends of Poker event in 2004

25. Tobey Maguire

Tobey Maguire is a very popular name in Hollywood. He reached stardom after playing the first globally famous Peter Parker in Raimi’s Spider-Man. Known to be a skilled gambler, the Hollywood star has always enjoyed a game of poker and was even involved in the controversial “Molly’s Game”, a scandal that saw people sentenced to jail-time. He was said to be a “big jerk” while playing high-stakes poker, but one thing is undeniable: he is more skilled than most.

• Tobey Maguire net worth: $75 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: Unknown

26. Daniel Negreanu

You don’t even need to be particularly interested in poker to know about Daniel Negreanu, a man that even has his own series of poker videogames. Negreanu lives a very luxurious life, having become one of the most famous poker players of all time and reaching stardom beyond the eyes of those acquainted to the card game.

• Daniel Negreanu net worth: $70 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: Over $8 million in a single poker session

27. Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley is a famous NBA star that spent most of his career playing for the 76ers and the Philadelphia Suns. His role as a presented for TNT and CBS sport alongside Shaquile O’Neal allowed his charismatic side to shine. During his playing days, he was a well-known fan of gambling, which even lead him to develop issues that he had to work through. Today, he is an advocate for responsible gambling, but he thinks of gambling fondly!

• Charles Barkley net worth: $60 million
• Game of choice: Sports betting
• Biggest win: $700,000 on a single Super Bowl bet

28. Howard Lederer

Howard Lederer has unquestionable talent for poker, but he was involved in the Full Tilt Poker scandal alongside Chris Ferguson, which led to a fall from grace. Even though he is very good at the game, he's no longer welcomed by the poker community and stands out as one of the most hated poker players of all time.

• Howard Lederer net worth: $60 million
• Game of choice:
• Biggest win: Over $1 million at the 2008 Aussie Millions A$100,000 Poker Championship

29. Don Johnson

Don Johnson is a famous actor and producer. He made a name for himself by starting in the famous 80s TV Show “Miami Vice”, which aired for six years. Johnson also became a famous singer and managed to release a hit that peaked at number 5 at the Billboard Hot 100.

• Don Johnson net worth: $50 million
• Game of choice: Unknown
• Biggest win: Unknown

30. Rick Salomon

Although Rick Salomon is actually a skilled poker player, his ability has been mostly overshadowed by his controversies. He was also the owner of an online gambling site that allowed him to grow his fortune quite significantly. He earned so much money that he got ranked as the 131^st player in the All Time Money list.

• Rick Salomon net worth: $50 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: He won $3,291,000 at the Monte-Carlo One Drop Extravaganza

31. Erik Seidel

Seidel is an American poker player that shares a similar story to Phil Ivey. He has also won a total of ten WSOP rings and he boasts one World Poker Tour title. Both of these achievements earned him a spot in the Poker Hall of Fame, where he was introduced in 2010. His skill was clear from the earliest of his poker playing days, when he made a runner up debut in the 1988 WSOP.

• Erik Seidel net worth: $41.9 million
• Game of choice:
• Biggest win: His biggest tournament win came in 2023, where he won $1,704,400 at the $50,000 Paradise Super High Roller event.

32. 50 Cent

Acclaimed rapper 50 Cent is one of the most influential hip hop figures of the 21^st century. After having a rough childhood and being shot multiple times earlier in his career, he cemented himself as a legend when he released his hit album “Get Rich or Die Tryin” in 2003. He loves sports betting and likes to place extravagant wagers, placing million-dollar bets on multiple events throughout his life.

• 50 Cent net worth: $40 million
• Game of choice: Sports betting
• Biggest win: The payout from his $1 million bet on the 2012 Superbowl

33. Jennifer Tilly

Jennifer Tilly is a famous actress that has starred in many Hollywood movies. She is a life-long poker fan, as her father was a poker player that introduced her to the game when she was young. She used to be married to Sam Simon, the co-creator of The Simpsons, which still earns her over $10 million in royalties per year. She is a very skilled player, though, having earned over $1 million in poker winnings so far.

• Jennifer Tilly net worth: $40 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $158,335 at the World Series of Poker

34. Jonathan Duhamel

Jonathan Duhamel is one of the most successful Canadian poker players of all time. He has earned over $18 million in tournament winnings and he’s won three WSOP bracelets. He was most successful between 2010 and 2015, where he was known as a poker tournament specialist. Still, he is better known to have won almost $9 million in a single WSOP event back in 2010.

• Jonathan Duhamel net worth: $32 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $8.94 million at the World Series of Poker

35. Patrik Antonius

Finnish-born, Monaco-based Patrik Antonius is an ex-tennis player and current pro poker player. He developed an aggressive playing style that became quite characteristic of his game which allowed him to reach multiple money finishes in the World Series of Poker. He boasts an estimated net worth of $28 million. He is the owner of First Land of Poker, an online poker platform that promotes the growth of the game across the globe.

• Patrik Antonius net worth: $28 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $3,151,734 in the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl China

36. Antonio Esfandiari

Born in a family of Iranian immigrants, Antonio Esfandiari is one of the most successful Arab gamblers of all time. He is a poker pro with over 15 years of experience, with a particular skillset that saw him earn the nickname of “The Magician”.

• Antonio Esfandiari net worth: $25 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $18,346,000

37. Aaron Paul

Although you may know Aaron Paul for his world-class performance in hit TV series like Breaking Bad, he’s also a skilled poker player. Paul has entered the WSOP in multiple occasions, and even forms part of the Global Poker League. His opponents say that he’s quite the charming person, acknowledging him as a genuinely nice guy to play against.

• Aaron Paul net worth: $20 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: Unknown

38. Andrew Black

Andrew Black changed the course of British gambling history by founding the country’s first betting exchange, Betfair. He used to be the CEO of the company, a position he left in 2010 before Betfair and Paddy Power merged. However, he was originally made a multi-millionaire thanks to his blackjack skills. He’s also a fan of horse race betting.

• Andrew Black net worth: $20 million
• Game of choice: Horse racing and blackjack
• Biggest win: Unknown

39. Phil Hellmuth

Phil Hellmuth is regarded as poker’s most successful players. With an astonishing 17 WSOP bracelets, he holds the record for the person who’s won the World Series the most. His success spans from the late 1980s to the 2020s, winning his first event in 1989. He’s managed over 150 cash finishes and over 60 final tables.

• Phil Hellmuth net worth: $20 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $803,818 in the 2023 WSOP Main Event

40. Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson is a Canadian actress and model who shot to stardom in the 1990s and 2000s, becoming one of the most famous people in the world. She earned a lot of her money from acting and selling books, and she’s also an avid poker fan. She was also married to Rick Salomon for a while!

• Pamela Anderson net worth: $20 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: Unknown

41. Scotty Nguyen

Esfandiari isn’t the only successful Asian poker player in this list, as Scotty Nguyen takes a spot in our top 50. The Vietnamese-American poker master has earned 5 WSOP bracelets and netted over 70 cash finishes, making him one of the most successful Asian poker players of all time. They call him “The Prince of Poker”, mostly because of his signature extravagant looks.

• Scotty Nguyen net worth: $12 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $1,989,120 while playing poker in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship in 2008

42. Mikki Mase

It’s almost impossible to know the truth about Mikki Mase, one of the gambling world’s most controversial figures to date. As an Instagram influencer, he has travelled the world. Many say he’s nothing but a sham, as he claims to have the secret to beating casinos in baccarat, while also claiming he’s been banned from Las Vegas casinos and cannot enter the “City of Sin”.

• Mikki Mase net worth: $10 million
• Game of choice: Baccarat
• Biggest win: $11,526,000 in a single session

43. Vanessa Selbst

Vanessa Selbst is one of the most successful female poker players to ever enter a live tournament. She’s known to dominate in various events, and she’s the only woman who have won three WSOP bracelets in different open field events. With over $12 million in live tournament winnings, her poker legacy is one for the ages.

• Vanessa Selbst net worth: $6 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $1,823,430

44. Don Johnson

When it comes to advantage gambling, few come close to being as successful as Donald Johnson, the man who did the impossible and beat a handful of Las Vegas casinos in blackjack. Johnson’s legendary run is still remembered as one of the best in Vegas history, and it earned him a spot in the famous Blackjack Hall of Fame.

• Don Johnson net worth: $5 million
• Game of choice: Blackjack
• Biggest win: $6 million during a 12-hour advantage gambling win streak in Las Vegas

45. Haralabos Voulgaris

Haralabos Voulgaris is a professional poker player that is better known for his appearances in the Poker World Tour rather than his WSOP performances. He comes from a wealthy family of migrants, which allowed him to try his luck placing sports bets in the NBA. He honed his poker skills over the years, having cashed over $3 million in live tournament winnings as of the time of writing this.

• Haralabos Voulgaris net worth: $5 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $434,560 in the 2007 $10k NHLE Championship

46. Chris Moneymaker

Poker icon Chris Moneymaker is known for one particular reason: he is the first person to have become a world champion after qualifying for a WSOP event by playing online. He changed the landscape for online poker players, and led the way to a generation of stars with an influence that is now referred to as “The Moneymaker Effect”.

• Chris Moneymaker net worth: $4 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $2.5 million by winning a WSOP main event

47. Terry Ramsden

Terry Ramsden is a mathematician, horse racing expert, and gambler who is a little too full of himself. His net worth peaked at $150 million, becoming one of the richest gamblers in the United Kingdom before his fall from grace. One thing’s for sure: he has kept his iconic look over the years, no matter how bad things have gotten for him.

• Terry Ramsden net worth: $2 million
• Game of choice: Horse race betting
• Biggest win: £2.5 million as profit from a racing bet

48. Amarillo Slim (†)

Thomas Austin Preston, also known as Amarillo Slim, was one of the most renowned poker players of all time. He was inducted to the Poker Hall of Fame in 1992. He won his first professional event in 1972, making him the oldest poker player to make this list.

• Amarillo Slim net worth: $2 million
• Game of choice: Poker
• Biggest win: $142,000 at the $5,000 PLO event in 1990

49. Archie Karas

Archie Karas is one of the most infamous people on the list, mostly because he holds records for massive winning and losing streaks at the same time. He gambled his way up to turn $50 into $40 million over the course of three years, but managed to lose it all in just three weeks back in 1995. His many controversies and legal issues also managed to get him banned from Nevada.

• Archie Karas net worth: $1 million
• Game of choice: Baccarat
• Biggest win: $4 million

50. Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson is an NBA player and a Philadelphia 76ers legend. He used to be much richer than he is now, after a series of controversial events led him to lose his fortune. Iverson was a prominent gambler and was known to be fond of playing roulette. His issues with gambling and alcohol were part of the reasons why he ended up losing it all.

• Allen Iverson net worth: $1 million
• Game of choice: Roulette
• Biggest win: Unknown

50 Gamblers Who Made a Lasting Impact on Online Gambling

Whether it was by outsmarting the casino in blackjack, being poker aces, or by masterminding their way to the top of other disciplines, these 50 gamblers left a permanent mark in the online gambling industry. They all have on thing in common: their love for gambling.

If you’re keen to try to replicate the rags-to-riches journeys of some of these people, remember to gamble responsibly and only wager what you can afford to lose.