The world of football quite often intersects with gambling in the broadest sense, especially casinos. And it is not uncommon to hear that footballers like to turn up at best rated online casino or use online games. Of course, not all of them speak out about it.

Do Pep Guardiola-led Manchester City players, for example, reach for games of chance? Do Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Sergio Gomez, Kyle Walker and co. like online casinos? It is impossible to tell, as none of them have been publicly caught gambling. However, it is no secret that in the past athletes associated with The Citizens have reached for this form of entertainment. 

An interesting case, known from the world of casinos, is that of Mario Balotelli, who, in his days of playing just for Manchester City, after winning £25,000 in a casino, gave some of this money to a homeless person. Apparently, the recipient could not believe that someone could be so generous to him.

There is, of course, no shortage of casinos in Manchester and this form of entertainment is used by sportsmen and sportswomen, including those known to The Citizens. Moreover, the club itself is supported by gambling companies. 

We can only assume that when Manchester City’s footballers use online casinos, they go for tried and tested solutions. Such can be found at the online casino bonus site. It is a review of the best online casinos, where we will read reviews of operators such as Lemon Casino, HellSpin, 21.com, Bizzo Casino, or Sportaza.

Footballers and gambling in the world

Of course, Manchester City’s co-operation with gambling is just one tip of the story, as similar co-operations are taking place all over the world. Suffice it to say that business with casino game operators is done by, for example, world football legend Zlatan Ibrahimović. As part of an advertising agreement with one of the online casinos, the Swede promoted the casino with his image as a brand ambassador. He could be seen in video advertisements as well as on posters. What’s more, it’s a business venture for him, as he has become a shareholder in this company. 

Gerard Pique has also repeatedly revealed his love of casinos. The one-time top defenceman in the world finished third at the 2011 PokerStars Championship and also branded the event with his face. He confirmed his considerable skills on the field at the 2019 European Tour Poker Tournament, when he finished second. Among the big names working with well-known poker companies with online tournaments, we also find Gigi Buffon. This legend of world football also tries his hand at poker tournaments. 

Online Football Betting

Parimatch have taken another step forward in the Premier League by signing a partnership with Newcastle United. This means that the St James’ Park team will join a group that includes Leicester City, Chelsea and Aston Villa, the latter having recently extended their contracts by one season. According to Parimatch, the agreements cover different areas of cooperation, with Aston Villa and Newcastle focusing on media rights and Leicester and Chelsea on offline and digital rights, tickets, club merchandise and exclusive access to club assets.

Dale Aitchison, commercial director at Newcastle, added: “Parimatch is one of the fastest growing online sports betting brands and we are delighted to welcome it to our growing family of commercial partners. We are expanding our partner portfolio with new areas and markets and we are excited to work with those who are so passionate about our shared values and look forward to working with Parimatch throughout the season.”