Richest Gambler

Bill Benter is a professional gambler who made his fortune primarily betting on horse racing. He's considered to be the richest gambler ever. His net worth is estimated at nearly 1 billion US dollars. Benter's income is the result of both betting and licensing proprietary software for horse race betting. Jul 08, 2012 The world’s richest gamblers. It was the sort of letter a rich list compiler dreams of.

Whenever gambling is mentioned, the glitzy images of Les Vegas come to mind. America has been considered as a gaming nation for a very long time. However, America is not the world’s biggest gambler as many would think. In fact, the biggest gamblers in the world include countries that are least suspect. The ranking of the 200 gambling countries is based on data provided by H2 Gambling Capital. The ranking takes into account the losses in a year divided by the adult population. The losses include the entire amount lost on all types of gaming including poker, slot machine, horse racing, and casinos.

The Biggest Gambling Countries In The World

Richest

Australia

Gambling is so prevalent in Australia that the central bank was led to increase interest rates. Australia allows online wagering on sports. Slot machines are favorite games in the country. New South Wales accounts for half of the country’s total poker machines. Adult gamblers reported a loss of $1,128 per adult with 935 gamblers registered to be banned from casinos between 2006 and 2010. However, these gamblers were caught over 1,200 times for breaching their ban

Singapore

Singapore only opened its first casino in 2010 but has since become one of the largest gambling countries in the world. The opening of casinos in Singapore created worries in the country, with the majority fearing addictions and losses. The government is discouraging gambling by the locals by imposing an entry fee of $81 for locals who wish to enter the casino. Families are also allowed to ban their members from visiting the casinos under the “Family Exclusion Orders.” However, these measures have done little to dampen the gambling spirit in the country. The country recorded $1,174 losses per adult in 2010.

Ireland

The casino industry in Ireland is entirely unregulated because the country depends on the old Gaming and Lottery Act of 1956. According to the law of Ireland, only registered members’ club is allowed to offer casino services. Bets on gaming machines are not allowed beyond 6 pence while the rewards for gaming are allowed up to 10 shillings. However, this law cannot be enforced since the Irish pound has not been in use as a legal tender since 1999. The huge losses by gambling adults which average $588 per adult have forced the government to start enacting laws that will help regulate the gaming industry in Ireland.

Canada

Over 75% of Canadian adults have been involved in at least one form of gambling. The highest number of gamblers in the country comes from Saskatchewan. The province has gambling revenue of $841 per person above the age of 18 years. The popular gambling games in Canada include lottery and scratch and win. The popularity of lottery games in Canada has led to the government setting up initiatives to discourage giving of lottery tickets to minors as gifts. Canada recorded $568 gaming losses per adult

Finland

Over 41% of the adult population in Finland gambles weekly, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The minimum age for gambling in the country was raised to 18 years in 2011 from 15 in the previous years in a bid to discourage gambling among children. The national lottery company in Finland is a property of the government and is managed by the Ministry of Education with the revenue from the company channeled to education, culture, and arts. The Paf Group of Finland, running the internet gambling company, offers paybacks to its loyal customers who spend at least $171.40 on its site but are certified to be suffering from gambling addiction. Finnish gamblers lose an average of $553 per adult.

There’s no doubt about it, casino operators make serious money. In fact, some of them rake in millions of dollars on a daily basis. With all that money at their disposal, it’s no wonder they are living their best lives. You would too if you had their kind of money. How much are we talking about? Take a look at our list of the richest casino operators and their net worth. It’s guaranteed to blow your mind. (This list is based on net worth and the gaming operators are listed in ascending order of wealth.)

10: Andrew Black – Net worth: $200 million

Online casinos are big business and Andrew Black was fortunate enough to join the industry in its early years. He and his friend, Edward Wray, founded Betfair in 2000. Not only was it the first bet exchange on the internet, but it is also now the largest in the world. According to Gamingclub, Black has been called the richest “gambler” in the world.

9. Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta – Net worth: $2.2 billion each

These brothers are well known for the successes they’ve achieved in the Nevada hotel and casino industry. It all started when they inherited some station casinos from their dad. Not satisfied with living off their father’s hard work, the boys decided they wanted to create their own wealth. They started out small by renting payphones. When they made some money with this venture, they began leasing out poker machines. A couple of strategic moves later and they entered the real estate industry. The rest is history.

8. Stanley Ho – Net worth: $2.5 billion

Affectionately known as the King of Macau, he’s ruled the gambling scene in this country for over 40 years. For those who are unaware, Macau’s is the largest gambling city in the entire world.
Ho’s empire consists of 15 of Macau’s 18 casinos. One of them, Casino Lisboa, makes more money than any other casino on the planet.

7. Phil Ruffin – Net worth: $2.8 billion

Phil Ruffin was wealthy in his own right when he first entered the gambling industry back in 1995 and purchased the Crystal Palace resort and casino in the Caribbean. But, it wasn’t until 2007 that he officially hit billionaire status. He now owns the New Frontier Casino and the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. He purchased the iconic building in 2009 from a struggling MGM Mirage.

6. Steve Wynn – Net worth: $3.4 billion

Las Vegas is famous for its flashing lights and adult entertainment. But, did you know that you might have to thank Steve Wynn for that? He is responsible for building the Mirage, the first themed casino in the city back in the late 80s. He owns several other iconic Las Vegas casinos as well. These include, but are not limited to, the Bellagio Casino Hotels, the Encore, and the Wynn.

5. James Packer – Net worth: $4.1 billion

This billionaire casino operator became a subject of pop culture conversation when he was briefly engaged to music superstar Mariah Carey. But, this reputation is just the tip of the iceberg. In truth, James Packer is a remarkable man. Although he inherited a fortune from his father, he did not laze about. He decided to create a worldwide gambling empire instead.
This company, Crown Ltd, is now one of the largest resort and entertainment groups in Australia. He also owns casinos in the UK, Pennsylvania, Nevada, New Jersey, and more.

Gambler

4. Kunio Busujima – Net worth:$4.9 billion

Richest Gambler In The World

This Japanese businessman is the founder and chairman of the Sankyo Manufacturing Company. Interestingly enough, gambling is illegal in Japan but, this did nothing to dissuade Busujima. He is the largest manufacturer of Pachinko machines, the Japanese equivalent of slot machines.

3. John Paulsen – Net worth: $7.8 billion

If you’re interested in investing, John Paulsen is the man to see. In fact, some have called him a god in this respect. The Harvard educated entrepreneur specializes in mergers and acquisitions, especially in the casino industry. In fact, he recently purchased 40 million shares of MGM Mirage and 4 million shares of Boyd Gaming Corporation. As a result, he’s now the second largest MGM shareholder. The only one with more shares than him is the founder, the late Kirk Kerkorian.

2. Dr. Lui Che Woo – Net worth: $26 billion

Although he is 82 years old, Galaxy Casino chairman, Dr. Woo is a relative newcomer to the industry. In fact, he’s been a part of this elite club for less than a decade.
His first foray into the world of casinos was the opening of the Galaxy Macau Casino Hotel. So far, he’s met with relative success. But, it’s important to note that his original fortune was made in the entertainment, leisure, construction, real estate, and hotel industry.

Richest Gamblers In South Africa

1. Sheldon Adelson – Net worth: $42.9 billion

Video Showing Richest Gamblers In World

Sheldon Anderson stands head and shoulders above the rest of the gambling tycoons on this list. He is the CEO and chairman of the iconic Las Vegas Sands. This casino is so lucrative, it generates over 30 million dollars in a single day. If you look at this from a numbers perspective, Las Vegas Sands makes more money than all other US casinos combined. Not bad for a college dropout.

Richest Gambler In World

Richest

It’s good to be one of the richest casino operators in the world. These entrepreneurs went all in on their dreams and are now among the richest people on the planet. It’s safe to say they played the hands they were dealt magnificently and stacked the deck to ensure their success.

World's Richest Gamblers

What would you do with all that money? Share your thoughts in the comment section. We would love to hear your opinion.