Six Famous British Gamblers

Britain has known to be the birthplace of many famous people. From members of the Royal Family to singers like John Lennon, biologists like Charles Darwin, nurses like Florence Nightingale, and politicians like Winston Churchill.

There is hardly any industry or area of academia where British people have not succeeded and made a name for themselves. One area that residents of the nation also excel in is gambling.

With 43% of the legal-age population gambling in 2018, there is no denying that British punters love the past time. Some, however, have become somewhat famous due to their wagers—and winnings. Below are some of the most famous British gamblers ever to try their luck.

Anthony (Tony) Bloom

Trying his hardest to keep his life out of the public eye, Tony Bloom is still one of the best-known gamblers in the country. This is thanks to his propensity for poker, which has seen him rake in winnings while playing.

Nicknamed ‘the Lizzard,’ Tony has had a long history of playing in poker tournaments. He made it to the final of Poker Millions in the early 2000s and the World Poker Tour. He also claimed fourth place at the 2005 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions.

While there is no definitive answer to how much he is worth, his winnings from playing poker alone are estimated to be upward of around £3 million (or $3.8 million). He has used this money to start companies and entrepreneurial ventures, including a private betting syndicate that caters exclusively to high rollers.

Patrick Veitch

Betting on horse races is something that millions of people enjoy. However, winning may be more challenging unless punters follow a specific (and effective) strategy. For Patrick Veitch, winning was as easy as sitting back and watching the race—or so it seems.

Making a name for himself while still a student at Cambridge University, Patrick set up a tip line for upcoming racing events. Using his incredible analytical mind, he was earning over £10,000 per month within three years.

He quickly reinvested this money into placing his own bets and is known for claiming over £10 million in winnings in just eight years (from 1999 to 2007). Thanks to his accurate predictions, Patrick earned the nickname ‘Enemy Number One’ among sportsbooks.

Joseph Jagger

Joseph Jagger isn’t a name that younger generations will know because he was born in 1830. But “the man who broke the bank in Monte Carlo” is still mentioned among gambling circles today because of his ingenious way of winning.

Working as a textile employee, Joseph noticed that his spinning wheels were unbalanced and caused repercussions on the final product. Thinking that this same type of imbalance could affect roulette wheels, he took his son and nephew to Monte Carlo.

Observing the spinning roulette wheels, he noticed imbalances and formulated a strategy to take advantage of this slight error. Within a few days, he had won the equivalent of £7.5 million in today’s currency and fully depleted the reserves of the casino he visited.

Terry Ramsden

Known not just for his incredible luck at horse betting but also for losing spectacular amounts on a single wager, Terry Ramsden is a true story of gaining wealth from nothing.

Born in Enfield, Terry earned little money working as an insurance clerk. However, he had a knack for accurate predictions on horses. He quickly began betting and amassed enough winnings to purchase a small company.

Within three years, the company achieved more than £3.5 million in turnover by betting on horses and the Japanese Stock Exchange. While his hard work earned him an estimated net worth of £150 million, he also didn’t play by the rules. He was eventually imprisoned for hiding assets and was found to have over £100 million in debt.

Part of this debt came from bad wagers—the most notorious being a £2 million loss on a single race. Despite his financial woes, however, he is still known as one of the gambling greats.

Harry Findlay

Known as ‘Harry the Dog,’ Harry Findlay is a name synonymous with horse racing, even though he was also a frequent punter at greyhound races. But what makes him one of the most famous gamblers is the amount of money he earned from wagers.

In 20 years between the 1990s and 2000s, he is estimated to have earned as much as £20 million on gambling alone. This extensive amount could easily have set him (and his family) up for life. However, he spent almost every cent on a lavish lifestyle and more gambling.

As well-known as he is for his winnings, he is equally famous for his spectacular losses. Among these is a £2.5 million loss due to New Zealand winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Losses like this undoubtedly helped decrease his millions to almost nothing.

Charles Wells

Working as an engineer in the shipyards in the early 1860s, Charles Wells quickly gained a reputation in Britain and France as a scam artist. He would promise people great returns if they invested in building a railway. Needless to say, this railway was never planned, and he pocketed the money.

With that money, he travelled to Monte Carlo, where he would gamble—most commonly on roulette. Instead of defrauding people, he chose, like many, to visit a live dealer casino where you can socialize and play. At that time, the aforementioned Joseph Jagger was still a living legend, with many citing how he managed to win big and ‘break the bank.’

While it is uncertain exactly how Charles achieved his significant wins, there are two leading theories. The one is that he, like Joseph, studied the wheel. The other was that he was simply lucky. Either way, he quickly gained the title of ‘the man who broke the bank’ (like Joseph) and enjoyed his winnings—at least until he was convicted of fraud in Paris.