The tumultuous and exciting lives of rock stars come with the territory. The portrayal of these individuals in the media indicates that they are constantly treading precariously on that fine line between debauchery and what is part and parcel of being a rock star in the first place, and who could blame them?

Being constantly surrounded by vice and having a natural penchant for devilish temptation might be pushing rock icons towards things such as sports betting and other forbidden fruit. 

Join us as we explore the lives of rock legends known for their love of a good bet. 

Elton John

Elton John is a huge soccer fan, supporting Watford FC, the team he even owned during the 1970s and 1980s. During his tenure as owner and with Graham Taylor at the helm, the team moved from the Fourth to the First Division. 

Whenever there’s love for a sport, the love for wagering on it is bound to follow. His friendly wager with the late John Lennon resulted in the two greats performing together at New York's Madison Square Garden. 

Despite battling with addictions throughout his life, Elton John seems to have managed to keep gambling in check and enjoy sports betting on a consistent basis. 

Drake 

Although Drake is a rapper and not a rock star, his illustrious career has earned him a ticket to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and his love for sports betting a place on our list. The Canadian hip-hop superstar has a notable affinity for basketball, especially the Toronto Raptors. With the recent legalization of online sports betting in Ontario, the doors for high-stakes bets have been opened, and Drake has capitalised on that. 

With sites like LegalBet Canada, users get first-hand information about the betting offer in Canada, which might not help them get Drake’s balance, but at least the top bonuses and guides are there.

Drake reportedly wagered over $1 million on Super Bowl LVII, and that’s just the tip of his sports betting iceberg. 

Scott Ian (Anthrax)

Scott Ian is a guitarist and vocalist in the metal band Anthrax who, besides his proclivity for metal music, is also known to be a poker enthusiast. In fact, being a poker enthusiast can be an understatement. He is as close to a poker pro as you get. Scott’s memorable victory at the VH1 Rock and Roll Celebrity Tournament at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in 2006 is even more impressive when considering he had to battle it out against Phil Helmuth, one of the biggest poker pros.  

Although Scott Ian is known for his poker prowess, it’s safe to say sports betting at Las Vegas casinos was definitely a part of his gambling portfolio. 

Sully Erna (Godsmack)

Sully Erna is another hard rock musician with a reputation as a great poker player and sports bettor. The founder of Godsmack's devotion to poker has led him to tattoo “No Justice” spelled on his back with four aces set on fire, reportedly a memento of a game where he couldn’t win despite having such a strong hand. 

Sully Erna’s poker career boasts two appearances at the World Series of Poker tournaments in 2006 and 2007. Even though he didn’t put up a show quite like he usually does at Godsmack’s concerts, the fact that he had earned to be among the poker pros speaks volumes about his skill. 

Ian Fraser Kilmister “Lemmy” (Motörhead)

Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known as Lemmy, founded Motörhead in 1975 and led it to the lofty title of the world’s leading heavy metal band. When he was not playing music, Lemmy was playing slots in Las Vegas casinos. His love for the one-armed bandits was so well-known that NetEnt released a Motörhead slot game in 2016, a year after Lemmy died.  

One of the band’s hit songs, “Ace of Spades”, talks extensively about gambling, which is another testament to Lemmy’s connection with high stakes, among which sports betting must have been a notable part. 

Final Thoughts 

Rock stars are no strangers to betting online as well as in casinos, where some of them, like Lemmy from Motorhead, spent hours betting on slots and sipping on jack and coke cocktails. However, nobody bets on sports like Drake, raking in bets worth millions, as well as wins. His $2 million win came after the Kansas City Chiefs topped the Cincinnati Bengals, which finally showed that he doesn’t always bet on the losing horse.