NFL Players Who Love the Casino

The National Football League is an intense sport that enjoys a global following. Those players who are at the top of their game are among the highest paid athletes in history, and they enjoy the luxury lifestyle that goes with it.

The NFL also has a long offseason, so there is plenty of time to play with all that disposable income. Among their many hobbies, a number of players like to get involved with offline and online casino games, and here are some of the stars that like to take to the tables.

Tom Brady

He’s arguably the greatest NFL player of all time, so it’s appropriate to start with Tom Brady. Like many of his contemporaries, poker is his favorite top bitcoin casinos pastime, but it’s more than just a hobby for this legendary quarterback.

Brady plays competitively and, now that he has finally retired from football, he has more time to spend at the tables and develop his poker career. 

Richard Seymour

Defensive lineman Richard Seymour was a teammate of Tom Brady’s at the New England Patriots, and he claimed three Super Bowl titles in his career. While still active in the NFL, Seymour tried his hand at the card tables, and he’s now developing into one of the best poker players on the circuit.

As 2023 drew to a close, Seymour was approaching $800,000 in career earnings at the poker table. In the 2023 World Series of Poker Tournament of the same year, he finished in the top three percent of all competitors. The former Patriots man claimed 284th place out of 10,000 entries to take home a cash prize of $50,900.

Emmitt Smith

A running back who will be best remembered for his time with the Dallas Cowboys, Emmitt Smith also liked the draw of the casino rooms. Once again, poker was the game of choice for this NFL star who likes to play online and in the physical gaming rooms.

Smith has a modest return from the casino tables, and he’s yet to win a major poker prize, but he’s a regular recreational player both off and online.

Calais Campbell

As a defensive end, Calais Campbell has enjoyed a productive NFL career with four different franchise teams. Moving into 2023, he’s still on the roster of the Arizona Cardinals but, as he approaches the end of his playing days, a switch to the casino tables is possible.

He’s been focusing on the NFL, so we have to place Campbell’s current poker earnings into context. At a total under $30,000, his wins have been modest, but he did compete in the 2016 WSOP and will have free time to consider a longer poker career in the near future.

John Elway

A man who set the benchmark for modern day quarterbacks, John Elway retired as a record breaker after a long career with the Denver Broncos. Elway also likes casino games but, as he told the media, he mostly prefers to play for fun.

Most notably, John Elway has a home poker set named after him, so NFL and casino fans can play a few hands in his honor.

Eric Stocz

He’s another NFL star to have played in the World Series of Poker, and Eric Stocz is as competitive on the card tables as he was on the football field. A linebacker for the Detroit Lions, Stocz took to playing poker while still active as an NFL star, and his first live tournament win came in 2008.

In 2011, he bagged over $30,000 at a World Series event and he has now exceeded $60,000 in career poker earnings. With his football career behind him, Eric Stocz has more time to focus on the casino and boost those numbers.

Sammy Watkins

Back in 2016, Buffalo Bills’ Sammy Watkins spent rather too much time at the casino. It was alleged that he had skipped training and had posted a photo of himself at the card tables on social media.

The wide receiver is now with the Kansas City Chiefs and is now focusing on football. He should enjoy many more years in the NFL, but there’s clearly a love for the casinos that could lead to a future career.

There are many reasons why so many NFL athletes are draw to the casino halls. There is that element of downtime and, while all players will be training and maintaining their fitness levels, there is a long offseason in this sport.

Players may also be drawn to certain games, poker in particular, because of the strategy element. American football is often referred to as a game of human chess, and maybe that is why poker has such an appeal.

Whatever the reasons may be, these are just some of the many NFL players who enjoy the casinos, and the trend is sure to continue in the future.