8 Stories of Musicians Who Love Gambling
February 14, 2024, 3 months ago
Online casino games and jackpots attract many people, including well-known musicians, such as:
● Madonna
● 50 Cent
● P Diddy Combs
● Sully Erna
● Alice Freedman
● Nelly, Lady Gaga
● Gladys Knight
have a soft spot for gambling. These musicians are famous for gaming in style, leaving their fans yearning for such a lifestyle. But some of them, such as Kenny Rogers, love singing about gambling more than they gamble. Virtually every casino player in the West has listened to Kenny Rogers's song “The Gambler.” In that way, Rogers and other musicians singing about gambling or slots contribute to the popularity of a responsible lifestyle. In this article, you will read stories about their adventures.
8 Musician's Gambling Stories in Online Casinos and Casino Resorts
Madonna
Madonna never shied away from gambling, and in 2012, news publications reported she had won the second prize in the SuperEnaLotto. It was during her world tour, during which she bought 100 tickets for the draw. She got lucky and won a prize of $130,000. And her gambling game's story did not end with her banking her winnings. Instead, she used them to build a school in Malawi, an African country where she had adopted her four children.
The SuperEnaLotto is not an American but an Italian national lottery. Madonna plays it regularly, thanks to her Italian roots. While she plays at the best online casino France, to gamble on the lottery, she uses a messenger service for the best win. It buys the lottery tickets on her behalf. For other best casino games, she just visits websites or resort casinos.
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson, commonly known as 50 Cent, is famous for many things. He had made headlines with his rapping career escapades, entrepreneurship ventures, and even filing for bankruptcy in 2015. And when it comes to gambling, he has made headlines as well, thanks to his huge gambling bets.
For instance, in 2012's NFC Championship, he placed a $500,000 bet on the New York Giants against the San Francisco 49ers. And in 2015, he placed an even bigger bet – $1.6 million – on Floyd Mayweather beating Manny Pacquiao.
To cap his love for gambling, he launched his own game on social media on Facebook titled ‘50 Cent’s Blackjack’ in 2015. Then in 2016, 50 Cent claimed he almost won the Powerball when he matched 3 out of 5 numbers. To back his claims, 5O Cent shared a ticket on Instagram of his near-winning ticket.
P Diddy Combs
P Diddy is famous for his music and the top talents such as Usher and Notorious B.I.G he has worked with. Outside his music career and business, Diddy loves to play casino games, especially Blackjack. Fans often see him in Las Vegas on blackjack tables.
In 2002, he was a guest of honor at the opening of the remodeled Harrah’s Casino in Atlantic City. He was to grace the occasion by performing his top hits on stage. Diddy was then to become the first to play at one of the casino's new opulent blackjack tables and challenge the dealer. However, the police closed the casino after a huge turnout of over 500 people turned chaotic.
Sully Erna
The rock band Godsmack's vocalist Sully Erna is famous for his voice and her decent gambling games wins. In the 2006 World Series of Poker, he came out at position 713th after beating 8,060 players. He earned $17,730 by the end of the competition. His best finish was in the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic, winning a whopping $307,325.
Tim Freedman
Singer Tim Freedman of the Whitlams made a comeback after 16 years. Their band is arguably one of Australia's most successful bands. While talking about his time off his music career, he mentioned he wasn't just on the periphery of the horse racing culture. He was a full-time gambler during the four years, and he enjoyed it.
He said every morning he would wake up and just feel the adrenaline shot just at the thought of betting on horse racing. And he says he won good money, about AUD 300k, on one of the Saturday afternoons. But he also mentioned the losses because you cannot be winning all the time. Freedman said after having enough fans, he quite gracefully returned to his music career.
Nelly
The Grammy-winning Cornell Iral Haynes Jr, whom you may know as Nelly, loves gambling. His game of choice is Texas Hold’em poker, as he does not prefer luck-based games such as lots. Fans have spotted him in tournaments such as PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, PokerStars European Poker Tour, and World Series of Poker.
In 2020, while playing at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, Nelly fought with an opponent who insulted him with a joke. Nelly was upset that the pit boss did not intervene and stop the player from insulting jokes.
Lady Gaga
You may know Lady Gaga more for the song “Poker Face,” even though her song was not about poker. The fact it refers to poker means Gaga prefers poker and likes to play it. Fans have spotted her often in Las Vegas casinos, where she says she goes to play poker for fun. She says her love for poker is not about winning or losing but just having fun with friends.
Gladys Knight
Many fans consider Gladys Knight as the Empress of Soul. After all, she has received 22 nominations and won seven Grammy Awards. But her love for gaming came to light in the early 1980s while living in Las Vegas. She said she started gambling during her free time.
She remembers that at one time, she won $60,000 at a table, though she lost it shortly after. Gladys says during tough times, like after her divorce, she would gamble to get money for books and school fees for her kids. She did later tone down her gambling appetite and feels thankful the casino protected her from scammers and paparazzi.
Gambling Stories Among Musicians
Many musicians have their fair share of gambling stories, which they share during interviews, and others leak to the media as they happen. What they all have in common is the thrill and drive winning casino games brings to life. And as some have admitted, that is what online casino gaming is about. It is not about wins or losses. It is about the fun and thrill.
If there is anything to learn from these stories, gambling is fun, and we should enjoy it in moderation. At least it is the message from the casino gaming stories of Tim Freedman, Lady Gaga, and Gladys Knight.
Resources
2) https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/diddy-concert-chaos-closes-atlantic-city-casino-957501/
4) https://fortune.com/2016/03/24/gambling-addiction-celebrities-march-madness/
