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Gambling is often seen as risky, but for some, it’s become a way to make a lot of money. These top gamblers have turned their skills and luck into huge fortunes.
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Let’s take a look at the lives of some of the richest gamblers in the world.
1. Kerry Packer – $5 Billion
Kerry Packer, the former wealthiest man of Australia, is known for his gambling than for the successful economic enterprise his family built. Having a reputation for taking enormous chances, he occasionally lost a lot of money. One of his worst streaks happened between 1999 and 2000 when he lost about $40 million at Crockford’s casino in London and the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
But Packer won a lot of important games too. His most well-known achievement occurred in May 1995 when, while playing high-stakes blackjack, he earned $20 million in under 40 minutes.
2. Tony Bloom – $1.5 Billion
Though not much is known about Tony Bloom, we do know that he enjoyed playing poker for pleasure at the University of Manchester before deciding to pursue a career in mathematics. Over the years, his hobby has earned him about $2.5 million, including second place in the Poker Million IX and several other notable tournament victories.
Bloom, who goes by “The Lizard” due to his brutal approach to poker, makes the majority of his money through his betting advisory business, Starlizard. According to reports, the company is among the best in the world and wagers millions on soccer tournaments all around the globe.
3. Bill Benter – $1 Billion
Math prodigy Bill Benter amassed his wealth through gaming. Prior to traveling to Hong Kong to race horses, he began his career in card counting in Las Vegas.
Benter worked with gambler Alan Woods to create an algorithm that predicts the outcome of races. After some trial and error, he began to make millions of dollars annually from the strategy.
His model offered him the highest win rate since it correctly anticipated the Triple Trio, a difficult wager in Hong Kong. Now that he is a billionaire, Benter donates to charities and gives lectures.
4. Edward Thorp – $800 Million
Edward Thorp, just behind Bill Benter, is the man who inspired him to gamble. Thorp is credited with inventing card counting, which gave gamblers a way to beat the house edge in blackjack.
His first weekend using the technique, he won $11,000. Confident it worked, he published a book in 1962 called *Beat the Dealer*, which sold over a million copies.
In order to increase his chances of winning at roulette, Thorp went on to develop the first wearable computer. Later, he used his abilities in the stock market, where his money increased dramatically and he became extremely wealthy.
5. Alan Woods – $500 Million
Alan Woods, like Bill Benter, started by counting cards and even worked with him at one point. After being banned from Las Vegas casinos, they turned to horse racing in Hong Kong.
When they split, Woods created his own successful betting model. But after his syndicate was investigated, he fled to the Philippines.
Still betting from his private property, Woods built a fortune of around half a billion dollars and later teamed up with former rival Zeljko Ranogajec.
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