Michael Owen Gambling History Explained
One of the UK’s most renowned football players, Michael Owen, has been involved in much gambling controversy lately. Among questionable casino advertisements, debts, and other scandals, the Michael Owen gambling history has been a hot topic for the media for a long time. Find more details in the article below.
Summary of the Michael Owen Gambling Scandal
The Michael Owen gambling story has raised a lot of media attention lately. On the one hand, it has once again brought to the public’s attention the famous footballer’s passion for betting. On the other, it has sparked a debate on regulating the market and establishing safe online casinos in the UK. In addition, the social concern about public figures’ use of Internet media increased. It became widely discussed how celebrities should approach their online presence to avoid setting a negative example and promoting potentially dangerous activities.
What Exactly Happened?
Michael Owen, one of Great Britain’s most respected modern-day football players, caught the public’s eye in May 2022 when he used his Twitter account to promote an online crypto casino.
At first sight, this might not have appeared suspicious. After all, celebrities, especially sports players, often become brand ambassadors for gambling operators. However, the particular crypto casino was operating illegally in the UK.
The website owned a licence from the Curacao gambling authorities. However, it did not have a permit from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). According to local law, legal online casinos in the United Kingdom should all have a valid UKGC permit.
What is more, crypto gambling sites face even tougher regulations. The reason is that digital coins are highly volatile. Because they are new, and so is the technology behind them, many people are still unaware of the risks associated with crypto gambling. Ill-intentioned operators try to use this fact in an attempt to cheat players. That is why specific restrictions and regulations are needed in the case of crypto casinos.
To elaborate further, the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) contacted Michael Owen and asked him to delete his tweets. While the ASA stated it received no reply to its request, the footballer deleted his social media posts about the unlicenced crypto casino.
However, this was not Michael Owen’s gambling’s first trespassing under UK regulations. Before that, he also made quite unreasonable and misleading statements regarding NFTs. Owen said that the NFTs in his collection would be the first non-fungible tokens to never lose their initial value. Everyone familiar with investments and asset management knows such claims are unreasonable.
Michael Owen’s Gambling History
The recent Michael Owen gambling scandal is not the first of its kind. The footballer admittedly enjoys betting and horse racing in particular. Owen owns a few excellent racehorses. He also employs Tom Dascombe, one of the UK’s finest trainers. Interestingly, one of the footballer’s horses, Brown Panther, has won some of the world’s most popular races, like the Royal Ascot and the Dubai Gold Cup.
In addition to his passion for horse racing, Michael Owen’s gambling image is associated with another fully UKGC-licenced online casino site. The footballer has acted as the gambling operator’s brand ambassador for quite a while. This online casino is one of the most trustworthy operators in the UK and is famous for its quality products and services.
Michael Owen’s Gambling Debt
Of course, there is nothing outrageous in enjoying a bet or two occasionally. Gambling is a popular way to spend some free time and relax. However, observing responsible gambling standards is necessary to protect oneself from the addictive nature of betting and its destructive consequences.
Also, it is not ethical to expose people’s problems and judge them. However, celebrities, especially sports players like Michael Owen, have a social duty to serve as an example. Renowned football players are looked up to by millions of people worldwide, including adolescents and children. That is why the stars need to observe their public behaviour.
Rumours of the Michael Owen gambling debt started circulating some 20 years ago. Various sources have claimed the footballer has lost massive amounts of money in decades. Owen himself has denied such claims, yet the stain remains.
Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney’s Gambling Feud
Amidst the rumours about Michael Owen’s gambling problem, another scandal occurred in 2006. A fellow widely celebrated UK football player, Wayne Rooney, accused Michael Owen of luring him to sign up with a bookmaker, where he lost £700,000.
The case of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney’s gambling dispute faded away in time, but the bad aftertaste remained. Sadly, talented and respected football players can fall prey to poor decisions and become negative examples for wide audiences.
Michael Owen and Gambling: The Conclusion
The Michael Owen gambling problem can teach us several things. First and foremost, it is important to observe the safety measures when playing at an online casino. As you can see by the footballer’s tweets, even celebrities can mislead themselves and us sometimes.
That is why you must be careful and always check if the online casino has a valid gambling licence. Any online gambling casino that caters to players from Great Britain must have a permit from the UKGC. Another important takeaway from the Michael Owen incident is that celebrities must be more cautious about the kind of example they send to the world. It is irresponsible to promote illegal services and activities.
Last but not least, everyone should know the difference between gambling for fun and problem gambling. If unaddressed, the latter can have dire consequences. Many organizations and specialists in the UK offer professional services in preventing and treating addictive gambling, so help is readily available to those who need it.
Michael Owen Gambling FAQ
Despite the recent Michael Owen gambling incident’s negative noise, we also learned several valuable lessons. They include multiple ways to improve the situation with online gambling and crypto casinos in the UK. We provide a quick guide to the topic’s most important questions to simplify the information.
1️⃣ What did Michael Owen do?
The recent gambling scandal involving Michael Owen was connected to the footballer using his Twitter account to promote a crypto casino site in May 2022. The online casino only had a licence from Curacao but not from the UKGC. This meant the operator was illegal at the time.
2️⃣ How is Michael Owen associated with gambling?
The Michael Owen's gambling history dates back to the early 2000s when rumours started spreading. Over the following decades, various sources have claimed that Michael Owen's net worth went down after the footballer lost huge amounts of money on betting. He also owns racehorses and is the brand ambassador for one online casino.
3️⃣ Does Michael Owen have gambling debts?
Sharing information such as Michael Owen's gambling debt is delicate. However, there has been much speculation on behalf of the British media as to whether Michael Owen's gambling debt was real. This information is unsubstantiated, so we do not feel comfortable commenting on it. Instead, we want to stress the importance of responsible gambling.
4️⃣ What happened between Owen and Rooney?
In 2006, there was a betting scandal between Rooney and Owen. According to sources, UK football player Wayne Rooney accused Owen of misguiding him into losing £700,000 by introducing him to an ill-intentioned bookmaker. This story has many unclear details, so it has not been confirmed whether this is true.
5️⃣ What are the lessons from the Michael Owen gambling scandal?
We can share some final words on the Michael Owen's gambling problem. For one, you should always be on the lookout for unlicensed online casinos, regardless of who is recommending them. Also, celebrities should observe their behaviour, as they are sending out important messages to the world. Lastly, any suspicion of problem gambling should be addressed appropriately.