By the end of 2025, the global gambling market will have reached $449.67 billion in revenue. Sportsbooks and casinos are recording higher profits this year, and professional gamblers were not left out. Here are seven professional gamblers who have made the most money in 2025.
1. Billy Walters: Top Sports Betting Guru
Billy Walters is the author of one of the most popular books on gambling, titled “Gambler: Secrets from a Life of Risk.” This gambling guru has, over the years, perfected his craft and has gone on many talk shows, sharing secrets on how to hack the game. Billy, in a conversation with Joe Rogan, mentioned that persistence and access to secure gaming environments have been the game-changers. Gaming environments with valid licenses, SSL encryption, secure payment methods, and other safeguards give Billy and other players on those platforms greater freedom to enjoy the top offers and bonuses available.
2. Daniel Negreanu: Top WSOP Professional Poker Player
As of 2025, Daniel Negreanu has netted $25,411,944 in WSOP career winnings. WSOP, the World Series of Poker, is the most prestigious event in the poker industry, and Negreanu has managed to place first in its 2025 all-players list. The 51-year-old player came to the limelight in the 2000s after setting the record as the youngest WSOP bracelet winner. Over the years, Negreanu has gone on to win a total of 7 WSOP bracelets, even appearing twice as WSOP Player of the Year in 2004 and 2013. The poker player also owns a blog where he shares comments on WSOP events and insights into the poker industry at large.
3. Bill Benter: Top Horse Racing Champion
Acclaimed by Bloomberg as the gambler who cracked the horse-racing code, Bill Benter has amassed wealth and popularity over the years. Banned by several bookies in Los Angeles, Benter dived into horse racing and soon became the face of the sport. As of 2025, Bill Benter has an estimated $1 billion in profit. The horse racing champion is popular for building an algorithm to predict horse race winners. His first victory came in a Triple Trio game where he accurately predicted the top three horses and won $13 million. Over the years, Benter has improved his algorithmic system, which he attributes to being key to his nearly billion-dollar fortune.
4. Antonio Esfandiari: Top Professional Poker Player
Antonio Esfandiari is a popular name in the gambling community. The star poker player has four WSOP titles and total earnings of $22,326,672 as of 2025. The Magician, as he is also called, has won the World Series of Poker WSOP three times and two World Poker Tour (WPT) championships to his name. He has solidified his name in poker history with one of the largest single payouts, totalling $18,346,673, after winning the Big One for One Drop in 2012. In a recent appearance on Hustle Casino Live, Esfandiari won $348,000. Antonio Esfandiari, now 47, is retired and has a greater focus on family life, making only a few televised poker appearances in 2025.
5. Zeljko Ranogajec: The World’s Biggest Gambler
Very rarely can you talk about successful gamblers and not mention Zeljko Ranogaje. He is arguably the most successful of the lot with an estimated net worth of between $400 – 500 million. His story is one of relentless pursuit as he dropped out of university to be a full-time gambler and was met with resounding success. He works with several known syndicates to turn over billions of dollars with his hands in as many things as you can mention, with Keno, horse racing, and sports betting being the go-to. While he is not a people person, he excels at using numbers to carve open odds at casinos and sports betting platforms, which is why it is no surprise he has been banned from several of these establishments worldwide. Despite his massive success, Ranogajec remains one of gambling’s most mysterious figures, rarely appearing in public or giving interviews.
6. Seth Davies: Top Professional Poker Player
Seth Davies is another top professional poker player who clocked in massive earnings this year in the gambling market. The American pro gambler has total live earnings of $44,571,294. Davies is known for holding the 2016 Canadian Spring Championship title. Moving forward, he placed in the top five in several events, including the Super High Roller Bowl 2019, where he made his first million. By 2023, Davies was increasingly popular for his million-dollar cash outs, taking in another million in a PCA Super High Roller tournament and $3,206,000 in the 2024 Super High Roller Bowl 7-Max game. In 2025, Davies made a career-best figure of $4,190,000 in one tournament at the $200,000 Triton Invitational event. So far, he has over $15 million in documented earnings in professional poker this year.
7. Tony Bloom: Top Professional Sportsbooks Bettor
Popularly known as “The Lizard,” Tony Bloom is a familiar face in the sports betting industry. The British professional sports bettor gained influence after launching StarLizard, a betting consultancy business that provided sharper odds to its clients. Bloom was known for his cold, calm, and calculated gameplay when gambling, traits that contributed to the success of his future businesses. In 2009, Bloom became chairman of the English club Brighton & Hove Albion and is now the club’s majority shareholder. As of 2025, Bloom’s StarLizard syndicate reportedly generates £600 million annually.
Conclusion
Although challenging to break into, professional gambling remains one of the most lucrative career paths in the world. Many aspiring gamblers often face being barred or limited after reporting consecutive wins at local casinos. For many professional gamblers, tournaments, online casinos, and sportsbooks have helped sustain consistent access to the gambling market.
