Gambling ought not to serve as a moneymaking tool. Instead, it should serve as a way to entertain yourself while possibly making extra cash. However, some people decide that gambling will be a nine-to-five. Professional gamblers don’t often meet with great success. However, when they do succeed, we hear about it. So, in this article, we will look at the world’s wealthiest gamblers as of 2023.
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What is a Pro Gambler?
So, before we get to the list, we should define what it means to be a pro gambler. It might be self-explanatory, but a professional gambler is a person who makes money by placing bets on sports or playing games at casinos. The games they play or the sports they bet on are irrelevant. Whether they are dedicated fans of the English Premier League or partake in fish game gambling does not change their status as professional gamblers. The only thing necessary to qualify as a pro is that most of the person’s income comes from gambling. With that in mind, let us look at the world’s wealthiest gamblers in 2023.
Tony Bloom; Estimated Worth: $1.5 Billion
Nicknamed the Lizard, Tony Bloom earned his fortune by betting on football (soccer) and playing poker. Bloom has appeared in some World Series Poker tournaments and has even reached the final table at quite a few. The Lizard has won several notable tournaments, most recently, the Poker Masters Event #8 in 2022.
As great poker player as he might be, Tony Bloom’s true talents lie in sports. Most of his fortune came from placing thoroughly thought-out bets on notable sports events. His successes in the field of sports go further than gambling, however. He is currently the chairman of the English Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion. Tony Bloom’s current wealth has been estimated at around $1.5 billion, making him the richest gambler in the world in 2023.
Bill Benter; Estimated Worth: $1 Billion
We must fly across the pond to the United States for our second candidate. William Benter, or Bill, made most of his fortune by placing bets on the ponies. Horse racing is a sport dating back to ancient times and remains incredibly popular today. And in horse race betting, Bill Benter is one of the most famous names.
He made his fortune by developing an incredibly successful analysis computer software program. The program aims to analyze the horse racing market and make accurate predictions. As we said, Bill Benter made around $1 billion thanks to this program. So, to call it a success would be an understatement.
Today, Benter is the Hong Kong Rotary Club president and is involved with a ton of charity work. His charitable causes focus on the United States and Hong Kong, and he has raised quite a bit of money for many notable charities.
Andrew Black; Estimated Worth: $700 Million
A gifted mathematician and entrepreneur, Andrew Black is perhaps one of the most important sports betting and gambling names today. Though it would be a stretch to call him a professional gambler, Black’s fortune comes from gambling. Along with his friend and colleague, Edward Wray, they founded one of the biggest, if not the biggest, online sports betting and gambling services, Betfair.
It is through Betfair that Andrew Black amassed the bulk of his wealth. The company became so huge that, in the early 2010s, it floated around on the London Stock Exchange. In 2016, Betfair merged with Paddy Power and was delisted. Andrew Black has been involved in several projects since then, including some related to horse racing and betting. As it stands now, his estimated net worth is somewhere around $700 million.
Zeljko Ranogajec; Estimated Worth: $500 Million
Zeljko “The Joker” Ranogajec might be one of the most famous gamblers in the world. An incredible blackjack player, Zeljko’s friends knew him as the greatest advantage player of all time. He would reportedly start a game with a few hundred bucks and leave it with millions. He has also seen major success in keno and horse racing. In 2011, Ranogajec was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame for his considerable skill in the game.
Final Thoughts
These are four of the richest gamblers in the world in 2023. All of the men we talked about in this article have accumulated an incredible wealth from the gambling industry in one way or another. Their fortune and wealth speak for themselves, and their successes can’t be denied. However, it is worth noting that these men are exceptions to the rule.
