English soccer star Dele Alli has reportedly accumulated six-figure losses at late-night poker sessions. The gambling losses add to a growing list of issues facing the former member of the Tottenham Hotspur.
The 29-year-old midfielder has lost almost £150,000 while playing sessions that last into the early morning at London’s Victoria Casino recently, according to the Daily Mail. That includes dropping as much as £25,000 a night. The outlet reported that other players have begun referring to Alli as a “whale.”
“We all look forward to Dele coming to the casino because ‘snaring a whale’ is a serious player’s dream scenario,” a regular in the games told the Mail. “As soon as he arrives at the casino, a message gets sent around, saying: ‘The Dele is open for business’ – and there’s a rush to join the game that he joins because we know there’s easy money to be made.”
‘It’s Actually Quite Sad’
Players in the games said Alli had been playing about every other day for the last two weeks. He is often alone and doesn’t chat much with others in the game.
“It’s actually quite sad because he never really speaks to anyone and doesn’t appear to be that happy,” another player said. “We all know he’s not short of money and he doesn’t seem that bothered about losing so much, which is great for us.
“Ultimately, poker is a tough world and whatever might be going on for a player, there’s no place for emotions. It’s all about playing and winning as much money as you can.”
Poker Losses Add To Troubled Past
The soccer star is currently without a club. However, he had a contract worth £50 million, but was released from Serie A Italian team Como in September.
Off the pitch, Alli battled other demons. According to English media, he checked into rehab in 2023 to treat a sleeping pill addiction. Additionally, he was public about a rough childhood that included dealing drugs by the time he was 8.
In other poker-soccer news, Sheffield United said English poker player James Bord’s consortium was the preferred buyer for the team. Bord’s biggest win came in 2010 when he won the World Series of Poker Europe main event for $1.3 million.
In 2024, Liverpool soccer great John Arne Riise spoke with Card Player about his love of the game and becoming a CoinPoker ambassador.
