6 Sports Bettors Who Became Rich and Famous

Betting Academy

6 Sports Bettors Who Became Rich and Famous

Betting Academy Gyles Farran

Most of us consider sports betting a fun way to add to the entertainment value of a match or race, with the potential for a little extra cash in our wallets. We might look at the stats briefly, but we will often follow our emotional connection to our favourite team rather than the numbers when it comes down to actually placing the wager.

Professional gamblers and bettors, however, have significantly different approaches. Sure, they might have paid attention to which bookmakers offered stats or odds, but these professionals will often have their own preferred method for choosing a winner.

And for the six bettors below, using different algorithms or methods of choosing who to place their wagers on has paid off immensely. Not only have their unique approaches brought them a considerable amount of money, but their skills have also shot them into fame (or infamy, depending on their story).

1. Tony “The Lizard” Bloom

Tony Bloom’s net worth is estimated to be around £1.3 billion. The English bettor made his fortune through investing in real estate and gambling, including online gambling, though unlike many punters nowadays, he didn’t opt for sites that offer new sign up deals. Instead, he built his gambling sites and then went on to sell them, earning himself another couple of million in income.

His skilful poker-playing abilities have also contributed to his wealth and fame, as he’s added another few million to his fortune through his poker prowess. He’s invested his fortune into ventures like his betting consultancy Starlizard and the Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.

2. Bill Benter

American gambler Bill Benter has amassed $1 billion through professional-level horse betting. He did this by building an algorithm that could predict horse-racing outcomes. Benter studied physics in college but decided to abandon this to try becoming a champion blackjack player in Vegas. He found success counting cards but was asked to leave Vegas after beating the house a few too many times.

Eventually, he set his sights on horse racing in Hong Kong, where he developed his algorithm to put the odds of winning in his favour. His system involved looking at every possible piece of data he could consider and carefully analysing it to find the winning options. He refined it to the point where it was earning him a tonne of money, including winning a Triple Trio with the odds of winning placed at 1 in 10 million.

3. Matthew Benham

With an estimated £220 million net worth, British bettor Matthew Benham has amassed quite a fortune for himself, thanks in part to his luck in sports betting. Perhaps luck isn’t the right word to describe his betting success, as his career set him up to be a skilled and analytical sports bettor who places informed wagers rather than lucky ones.

He graduated from Oxford University and spent over a decade in finance. Then, he moved on to a career in the gambling industry, which allowed him to become a professional gambler by giving him an in-depth understanding of how to analyse data and develop algorithms. He eventually opened his own gambling company, Smartodds.

Like Tony Bloom, Benham has also used his wealth to support one of his life passions, football. Benham owns the Brentford team and has assisted them financially to reach the premier league. He’s also used his analytical mind to develop data-led recruitment for the team.

4. Alan Woods

Winning millions from the comfort of his apartment, Australian gambler Alan Woods was a highly skilled maths genius. He used his natural affinity for maths to increase his odds of winning in blackjack and horserace betting, though focusing on the latter. He used the quantitative betting approach for choosing which horses he’d back – a tact that paid off for him.

Throughout his gambling career, Woods worked with other renowned bettors, including Benter and Zeljko Ranogajec (next up on this list). Woods passed away in 2008 with a net worth of over AU $670 million.

5. Zeljko “The Joker” Ranogajec

Zeljko Ranogajec is another Australian gambler who has made a name for himself through sports betting. He’s known to place and win huge wagers and is equally known for his reclusive habits. He’s believed to have bought into one of London’s most expensive apartment complexes, One Hyde Park, and to have the means to live a lavish lifestyle with a net worth estimated at over AU $600 million.

6. Billy Walters

Billy Walters, who ESPN once called “the greatest and most controversial sports gambler ever”, has made a name for himself and a fortune in the sports betting industry. His story is a rags-to-riches one, having grown up in poverty, but it hasn’t always been straight-laced or celebratory, leading to controversy and a touch of infamy around his name and behaviour.

Walters is an American who has been participating in sports betting since well before it was legalised or widely available the way it is today, and this has meant officials have kept close tabs on him. He was once escorted from his house in handcuffs because of it. In recent years, he’s also gotten himself in hot water for insider trading.
Today, he has an estimated net worth of $200 million and has released a memoir titled Gambler: Secrets From a Life at Risk. The book explores his highs and lows as a professional gambler.

Conclusion

Playing the odds of making a professional sports betting career is risky in many ways. It may not work out for everyone, but these six gamblers used their natural maths abilities and determination to win to make it happen for themselves.

6 Sports Bettors Who Became Rich and Famous

Betting Academy Gyles Farran

Most of us consider sports betting a fun way to add to the entertainment value of a match or race, with the potential for a little extra cash in our wallets. We might look at the stats briefly, but we will often follow our emotional connection to our favourite team rather than the numbers when it comes down to actually placing the wager.

Professional gamblers and bettors, however, have significantly different approaches. Sure, they might have paid attention to which bookmakers offered stats or odds, but these professionals will often have their own preferred method for choosing a winner.

And for the six bettors below, using different algorithms or methods of choosing who to place their wagers on has paid off immensely. Not only have their unique approaches brought them a considerable amount of money, but their skills have also shot them into fame (or infamy, depending on their story).

1. Tony “The Lizard” Bloom

Tony Bloom’s net worth is estimated to be around £1.3 billion. The English bettor made his fortune through investing in real estate and gambling, including online gambling, though unlike many punters nowadays, he didn’t opt for sites that offer new sign up deals. Instead, he built his gambling sites and then went on to sell them, earning himself another couple of million in income.

His skilful poker-playing abilities have also contributed to his wealth and fame, as he’s added another few million to his fortune through his poker prowess. He’s invested his fortune into ventures like his betting consultancy Starlizard and the Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club.

2. Bill Benter

American gambler Bill Benter has amassed $1 billion through professional-level horse betting. He did this by building an algorithm that could predict horse-racing outcomes. Benter studied physics in college but decided to abandon this to try becoming a champion blackjack player in Vegas. He found success counting cards but was asked to leave Vegas after beating the house a few too many times.

Eventually, he set his sights on horse racing in Hong Kong, where he developed his algorithm to put the odds of winning in his favour. His system involved looking at every possible piece of data he could consider and carefully analysing it to find the winning options. He refined it to the point where it was earning him a tonne of money, including winning a Triple Trio with the odds of winning placed at 1 in 10 million.

3. Matthew Benham

With an estimated £220 million net worth, British bettor Matthew Benham has amassed quite a fortune for himself, thanks in part to his luck in sports betting. Perhaps luck isn’t the right word to describe his betting success, as his career set him up to be a skilled and analytical sports bettor who places informed wagers rather than lucky ones.

He graduated from Oxford University and spent over a decade in finance. Then, he moved on to a career in the gambling industry, which allowed him to become a professional gambler by giving him an in-depth understanding of how to analyse data and develop algorithms. He eventually opened his own gambling company, Smartodds.

Like Tony Bloom, Benham has also used his wealth to support one of his life passions, football. Benham owns the Brentford team and has assisted them financially to reach the premier league. He’s also used his analytical mind to develop data-led recruitment for the team.

4. Alan Woods

Winning millions from the comfort of his apartment, Australian gambler Alan Woods was a highly skilled maths genius. He used his natural affinity for maths to increase his odds of winning in blackjack and horserace betting, though focusing on the latter. He used the quantitative betting approach for choosing which horses he’d back – a tact that paid off for him.

Throughout his gambling career, Woods worked with other renowned bettors, including Benter and Zeljko Ranogajec (next up on this list). Woods passed away in 2008 with a net worth of over AU $670 million.

5. Zeljko “The Joker” Ranogajec

Zeljko Ranogajec is another Australian gambler who has made a name for himself through sports betting. He’s known to place and win huge wagers and is equally known for his reclusive habits. He’s believed to have bought into one of London’s most expensive apartment complexes, One Hyde Park, and to have the means to live a lavish lifestyle with a net worth estimated at over AU $600 million.

6. Billy Walters

Billy Walters, who ESPN once called “the greatest and most controversial sports gambler ever”, has made a name for himself and a fortune in the sports betting industry. His story is a rags-to-riches one, having grown up in poverty, but it hasn’t always been straight-laced or celebratory, leading to controversy and a touch of infamy around his name and behaviour.

Walters is an American who has been participating in sports betting since well before it was legalised or widely available the way it is today, and this has meant officials have kept close tabs on him. He was once escorted from his house in handcuffs because of it. In recent years, he’s also gotten himself in hot water for insider trading.
Today, he has an estimated net worth of $200 million and has released a memoir titled Gambler: Secrets From a Life at Risk. The book explores his highs and lows as a professional gambler.

Conclusion

Playing the odds of making a professional sports betting career is risky in many ways. It may not work out for everyone, but these six gamblers used their natural maths abilities and determination to win to make it happen for themselves.