Closer Look At The World’s Biggest High Rollers
Known as high rollers or whales, some gamblers are infamous for the size of their bets. In fact, some are known for betting more money than some people will make in a lifetime in one game.
Altogether, the world’s biggest high rollers have bet billions on their favourite games. Find out more about them with us.
Adnan Kashoggi
During the 1980s, most people who knew the name Adnan Kashoggi did so because he was an arms dealer who laundered money with Imelda Marcos and who was involved in the Iran-Contra Affair. What many did not know about Kashoggi is that he also was an avid gambler.
Kashoggi spent many hours in casinos in Las Vegas and in London, enjoying the company of prostitutes and betting massive amounts of money at Baccarat tables. He wasn’t the luckiest gambler, and he managed to run up as much as £3m in debts at London’s Ritz casino.
Mariam Aziz
A former air hostess, Mariam Aziz married, and later divorced, none other than the world’s richest man, the Sultan of Brunei, whose personal fortune amounts to more than $20 billion. When the couple got divorced, Aziz received a settlement of more than $4 billion.
Following the divorce, Aziz spent much of her time gambling in casinos around the world. According to reports, she would spend up to 14 hours a day playing Roulette in one of London’s casinos. She even began a relationship with the manager of one of the casinos. However, Lady Luck was not on her side, because Aziz lost as much as £1 million a day at the Roulette tables.
Kerry Packer
Australian media magnate Kerry Packer is famous for having owned TV networks and print media companies. He also was known for having founded World Series Cricket.
Packer became an incredibly wealthy man, and like many wealthy men, he enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle, part of which involved being a high roller. On a visit to London, he reportedly bet $15 million at a Roulette table, lost the bet, and left the establishment. He also is said to have bet $120 million on a coin flip. Packer also was said to have had good luck while gambling, such as a $33 million win at the MGM in Las Vegas.
Akio Kashiwagi
Known as the Warrior, Akio Kashiwagi was a real estate tycoon who hailed from Tokyo, Japan. It was alleged that the wealthy businessman had connections with the mafia-like Yakuza.
Kashiwagi enjoyed gambling at Monaco’s Monte Carlo, as well as at the top casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas. He reported was even courted to play by Donald Trump, who knew of his reputation for betting as much as $200,000 on a single Baccarat hand. In 1992, Kashiwagi was found murdered near Mount Fuji. He had been stabbed more than 150 times with a samurai sword. At the time of his death, he owed millions in gambling debts. His debts to Trump’s casinos alone amounted to more than $4 million.