From Charlie Sheen to Tiger Woods, it seems like we’re always hearing about male celebrities who have lost their metaphorical shirt while gambling. But why don’t we ever hear about their female counterparts? Women gamble almost as often as men, but they simply don’t seem to hit the headlines when they lose big. In fact, the entirety of the Internet is just about blank when it comes to female celebrities who have suffered a loss. Let’s tackle this injustice by examining some of the top female celebrities who lost a fortune at the casinos.
Pamela Anderson
Biggest Amount Lost: $250,000.
This Baywatch babe may be a hit on the sand, but she certainly wasn’t a hit on Las Vegas strip in 2007. Pamela Anderson managed to lose a total of a quarter million dollars at poker in a single night, and it’s probably no wonder; the beach beauty had never given any indication that she was even interested in the game before. Of course, this didn’t have much of an effect on the beautiful young starlet: Pamela Anderson was able to clear up that debt with a single makeout session–or, at least that’s all she says occurred. Pamela demurred when asked to tell the press who her mysterious benefactor was, but most people believe that it was Antonio Esfandiari, who she later reportedly fell in love with and got engaged to.
Gladys Knight
Biggest Amount Lost: $45,000.
The Empress of Soul herself, Gladys Knight battled with her gambling addiction for a decade. Introduced to Blackjack by a friend, Knight’s addiction was a little unique: she didn’t particularly care about the money she had lost, but instead about the fact that she was gambling rather than taking care of her son. She only bottomed out when she woke up after a heavy night of gambling and alcohol to realize she hadn’t taken her son to school. The feel good end to this story? Knight was able to reach out to Gamblers Anonymous and, through faith and perseverance, has been able to recover from her illness.
Jennifer Tilly
Biggest Amount Lost: Unknown
Academy Award nominee Jennifer Tilly seems to be having some personal issues at the poker table. Interestingly, Jennifer Tilly is often held up as one of the more successful female gamblers–she lives for poker and has had quite a few wins under her belt at the World Series. Yet, a different story is being told in the undercurrents of the press. Jennifer Tilly herself bemoans her losses, stating that she is finding her losses extremely stressful, and she was seen sleeping on benches during the 2012 World Series. Eventually the stress led to her quitting the game entirely–but she was quickly back on the tables. However, her introduction to this list doesn’t involve herself alone…
Marge Simpson
Biggest Amount Lost: Motherhood
OK, she isn’t exactly a celebrity — in fact, she’s not even real. But Marge Simpson is an excellent example of the way women tend to deal with gambling in particular. In the $pringfield episode of The Simpsons, a casino moves into town and good old Marge gets addicted to slots. And it’s slots, so it’s not like she’s losing millions–she’s whittling away the family fortune by a quarter at a time. However, she becomes so addicted that she forgets to help Lisa with her school play, which sends the family into disarray. Another interesting note: Sam Simon, the developer and producer of The Simpsons, was Jennifer Tilly’s husband… until they divorced, just two years before the gambling episode aired.
What have we learned? Well, it’s interesting that female gamblers don’t always quantify their losses in dollars the way that male gamblers do. Many of the female celebrity gamblers that have lost big find that their “losses” are really time with their family and stress–whereas men are a bit more likely to simply toss out a big number. And, let’s face it–it’s doubtful that any male celebrity is going to get a gambling magnate to waive his debt by sleeping with them. Nevertheless, it’s almost a little comforting that these female celebs win and lose at the tables and the cards just like the rest of us do.
Masshole Mommy
Sep 2, 2014 at 1:30 pm
I don’t feel that bad for celebs who lose in the casinos. They have money to spare.
prettyopinionated
Sep 2, 2014 at 2:38 pm
Some of those amounts are crazy! I cry when I lose the $100 a year I put aside to play in the slots, lol. I KNOW I’m going to lose it, but it’s that hope that maybe this will be the big one that keeps people playing. I am very strict on the rare occasion that we go to the casino. I take only what I can afford to lose and leave the rest at home.
thelesleyshow
Sep 2, 2014 at 3:29 pm
I could never lose a fortune in a Casino, I could easily lose it in a Target, Kohls or Sams Club buying groceries, but never in a Casino.
Marilyn Lancelot
Sep 2, 2014 at 4:57 pm
Imagine your grandmother sitting in the back of a patrol car in handcuffs. I was that woman and the gambling addiction destroyed my heart and soul. The day of my arrest was the most humiliating moment of my life and some people asked the question, “Why didn’t you just stop.” Compulsive gambling is cunning, baffling, and powerful and it’s difficult to understand the addiction because no chemicals or substances are ingested into the body.
Almost every day the newspaper, TV, radio and magazines carry stories about the compulsive gambler who is sent to prison for a crime to support their habit, committed suicide because of the shame, or they are being locked up in a psyche ward.
Drugs and alcohol are not the only two addictions that destroy lives. While you are reading this paragraph, someone you know may be embezzling money to support their gambling problem. High school students and senior citizens are becoming addicted and seniors are spending their life savings. At their age there is no chance of returning to the work place to supplement their income.
The number of problem gamblers increases daily and this hidden addiction tears at the fabric of society. Addictions are the most untreated treatable mental illnesses and there is help.
I have an on-line Newsletter to help the female gamblers and the link is: http://www.femalegamblers.info I have also written three books which detail my becoming addicted to gambling and alcohol, the devastation, and my recovery. The titles are, Gripped by Gambling, Switching Addictions, and Detour.
Sincerely,
Marilyn Lancelot
becca112971
Sep 2, 2014 at 5:34 pm
Not sure I would be brave enough to just throw money away in a casino.
celebbabylaundry
Sep 2, 2014 at 8:04 pm
When ever you go to a casino you’ve got to make sure you go in with the right mindset, so that you don’t lose too much money.
Sarah Bailey
Sep 2, 2014 at 8:08 pm
I’ve never been to a casino – I would probably enjoy it, but worry about throwing too much away which is probably a good thing. x
kristimaloney
Sep 2, 2014 at 8:46 pm
Well celebrities have a lot more to gamble with, so they must win more than us peasants – thus the addiction for more, more more! I go with my Mom every year or so. I bring $200 tops and usually come back with half of that. It’s fun, but such an addicting behavior that needs to be kept in check.
Krystal
Sep 2, 2014 at 11:49 pm
I didn’t know Jennifer Tilly was such a good player. Seems like an interesting profession.
listen2mama
Sep 3, 2014 at 12:41 am
I have never gambled. I just have never seen the point of throwig my money away. I’d rather go shopping!
Maria
Sep 3, 2014 at 12:45 am
wow! I spent $10 the other day at a casino and thought I did good walking away with a $10 loss! lol
Amber NElson
Sep 3, 2014 at 1:17 am
They do have money to just throw away like that. Kind of sickening.
Barbie's Beauty Bits
Sep 3, 2014 at 2:17 am
those are some crazy amounts. I think wen you gamble you need to think of it as a night out. If you wouldn’t spend $1000 on a night out, don’t gamble that much! The house is the winner most of the time!
Heather D. (@GirlGoneMom)
Sep 3, 2014 at 2:26 am
Great list! I hate losing money, even if it’s only a couple of dollars so I rarely gamble.
Lois Alter Mark
Sep 3, 2014 at 2:32 am
Wow, that’s fascinating. $250,000! I get depressed if I lose $10 on blackjack.
Marielle Altenor
Sep 3, 2014 at 3:01 am
I never win at the casino so I never bring more than 20$ lol I only know how to play on the slot machines and not poker or anything else.
Annie Mai
Sep 3, 2014 at 4:12 am
Interesting background to the Simpsons episode. Gambling is horrid.
casavilorainteriors
Sep 3, 2014 at 6:28 am
Wow! That is why it is called gambling. I could never
Amber B
Sep 3, 2014 at 12:08 pm
I love slot machines but have to set a limit on myself. I could never imagine losing $250,000 at a casino that is a house for me. But again I couldn’t imagine having $250,000 to blow at a casino!
CanadianMomEh
Sep 3, 2014 at 1:16 pm
It’s pretty sad to think that these people have this much money to throw away at a casino.
Kelli
Sep 3, 2014 at 1:23 pm
Gambling can cause serious issues for some families and can be highly addictive. I am glad some were able to over come their addictions.
Helene Cohen Bludman
Sep 3, 2014 at 1:38 pm
A gambling addiction has to be one of the worst addictions you can have. Thank goodness no one in my family has it.
Melissa Smith
Sep 3, 2014 at 2:28 pm
$250,000?! That is insane! So glad that gambling doesn’t interest me at all.
Rosey
Sep 3, 2014 at 3:59 pm
I’m hoping they had the money to lose. I suspect they did…but still it must have been a huge bummer.
Tiffany Collins (@Naturalycracked)
Sep 3, 2014 at 5:22 pm
Casinos are not my thing. When I go I always bring what I want to spend and leave my cards at home. They just take take take and sometimes can get overwhelmed.
chrissy4gordon24
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:50 pm
They still have more money than me with losing all of that haha Crazy they lost so much!
Janell Poulette
Sep 4, 2014 at 2:10 am
Wow I could not even imagine gambeling that much money. I was on a cruide once and found $1 on the floor. I played the .25 cent slots and won $250. That’s my kind og gambeling 🙂
Mina Slater
Sep 4, 2014 at 4:51 am
Those amounts of lost dollars made my head spin! Wow. The only time I gambled was in Vegas, I put one coin in a spot machine. That was it.
Amanda McMahon
Sep 4, 2014 at 5:09 am
Marge Simpson, ha! Great list – casinos can be fun but addictive.
Aisha Kristine Chong
Sep 4, 2014 at 8:48 pm
I guess when they have loads of money, they lose track of things, especially when gambling.
Dny
Jun 16, 2015 at 1:40 am
I used to gamble at casinos. I once won 500 dollars, my biggest gain. One day, I desperately wanted to win @ slot machines that I spent 120 $ without any gain, and realized that I had just 20$ left in my pocket. Meanwhile, I need $ 50 to buy gas for my going back home. I pray that, gambling with that last 20 $, GOD will allow me to have my 120 $ back, and will leave this place fast. My next bet brought me 130 $. I rose up, nervously relieved, and headed home. Vowing not to put back my feet in a casino anymore. However, months later, I was back at the same casino again. This time, something strange happened to me “I FELT TERRIBLY NAUSEOUS, AND WANTING TO THROW-UP AT THE SOUNDS OF SLOT MACHINES”. I quickly got out and never came back. Since then, I just buy lottery ticket when the jackpot is beyond $ 21 000 000. True story in year 2012.