Over the years, there have been many rumours and speculations about the scale of Michael Owen’s gambling involvement. You can find articles online dating back nearly 20 years and discussing a potential Michael Owen gambling debt, and so on. Today, the now-retired football player is still a frequent gambler, and his most recent endeavours have sparked severe backlash.
More About the Famous English Football Player
There are hardly any football fans in the United Kingdom who have not heard about Michael Owen. The player has been part of some of the country’s most popular and beloved clubs, including Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Stoke City. Michael Owen has also played for the England national team.
✔️ Full Name | Michael James Owen |
📅 Date of Birth | 14th December 1979 |
📍 Birthplace | Chester, England |
❓ Parents | Terry Owen and Jeanette Owen |
⚽ Occupation | Former Football Player |
⭐ Played for | Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Stoke City, the England National Team |
👩 Married to | Louise Bonsall |
👧 👦 Children | Gemma Rose, James Michael, Emily May, and Jessica |
💰 Net Worth | £54,400,000 |
Michael Owen’s father, Terry Owen, is a former English footballer who has played for clubs like Everton, Rochdale, and Port Vale. Michael Owen has been married to Louise Bonsall since 2005. Together, the couple has four children – Gemma Rose, James Michael, Emily May, and Jessica. As of 2022, Michael Owen’s net worth is estimated at £54,400,000.
Michael Owen Advertises an Illegal Gambling Operator
In May 2022, Owen took to Twitter to promote an online crypto casino. The operator is licensed by the government of Curacao, but it turned out it is not legally able to operate for British players. For this to be the case, the site should hold a valid gambling licence by the UK Gambling Commission. This applies to all the best online casinos in the UK.
Furthermore, the regulations for operators offering cryptocurrencies are even stricter. The best Bitcoin casino sites for British players should adhere to the highest security standards in the online gambling industry to be able to offer their services in the country. Therefore, Michael Owen was contacted by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and asked to delete his tweets.
According to ASA, they have not received an official reply from the former football player, but the tweets have since been removed. Another thing that stirred things up was Owen’s NFT collection. He made a very controversial claim that his NFTs “will be the first-ever that can’t lose their initial value”.
Everyone with little knowledge about investments should know that there is nothing risk-free. That means that we can classify the statement made by Owen as misleading. In fact, it was later revoked by Oceidon – a company offering blockchain-based solutions and a partner of Owen in his NFT venture.
Michael Owen Gambling Problem Speculations
Michael Owen has admitted that he enjoys gambling and horse racing. He even owns racehorses trained by one of the best racehorse trainers Tom Dascombe. Brown Panther, one of the horses bred by Owen, has won in popular international races like Royal Ascot in 2011 and Dubai Gold Cup in 2015.
There is also a Michael Owen BetVictor connection. The former football player is a brand ambassador for the popular casino site. If you want to learn more about the operator and what it offers to gamblers, we recommend you review our detailed BetVictor casino review. One thing is for sure – the site is fully licensed by the UKGC and completely safe for players from the country.
Obviously, there is nothing wrong with gambling and horse racing. This is true as long as everything is done within proper limits. We can all agree that responsible gambling is extremely important and is the very thing that keeps players out of harm’s way and prevents potential gambling addictions.
The rumours of Michael Owen’s gambling problem started back in the 2000s. According to different sources, Owen has bet and lost large amounts of money over the years. There were also reports of a Michael Owen gambling debt. He denied allegations of excessive gambling occasionally, but this has not stopped the speculation from circulating.
Interesting fact:
According to the Football Association (the FA), those involved in the game at Premier League, English Football League, National League, The FA Women’s Super League, and The FA Women’s Championship are not allowed to bet on football games anywhere in the world.
Michael Owen & Wayne Rooney Gambling Debt
Another interesting moment is the Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney gambling feud from 2006. Rooney is another famous English football player. Back in the day, he blamed Owen for introducing him to a bookmaker with whom he ran the staggering debt of £700,000. Both Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney have pretty substantial net worth values, and although not ideal, they can deal with losing more significant sums of money.
A Michael Owen gambling debt would not be that serious, but for the average person this could have disastrous consequences. Yet another reason why the top gambling sites in the UK take responsible gambling so seriously. They allow players to set deposit limits and work with prominent organisations helping fight gambling addictions – e.g., GAMSTOP and Gamblers Anonymous.
Conclusion About Michael Owen and His Involvement in Gambling
Michael Owen certainly has a thing for gambling, and like we already mentioned, this is completely fine if it is within adequate boundaries. Gambling is a popular pastime activity preferred by many people worldwide, the UK included. Owen is also far from the only famous gambler.
Many other footballers, actors, and musicians fancy themselves an occasional visit to the casino. Among the most famous gamblers are Ben Affleck, Tobey Maguire, and Frank Sinatra. It is important, however, for high-profile celebrities with thousands and even millions of followers to carefully select what to advertise via their platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is the end of our article about Michael Owen’s gambling passion and the scandals around it. We have tried to give you as many details as possible and hopefully managed to shed light on the topic. Before you leave, make sure to have a look at our short FAQ section below: