Every industry has its bigwigs, those who wield the economic sword and call the shots. Casino is no different. There are titans in the gambling space that have accrued much wealth and influence, so much that their voice has to be heard. Whatever side they take is what the sector takes because of their financial strength.
But we must be very clear; these financial heavyweights have not relied on their slot machines or gambling halls alone to make fortunes.
Many of them are real estate moguls and versatile entrepreneurs who have become regional economic powers with influence transcending the entertainment world.
One thing about gambling halls owned by these industry bigwigs is that they offer different incentives to players. A few of those companies that run online casinos in Hungary offer bonuses and various rewards that minimize players’ financial risks.
As such, if you’re searching for a casino bonus to enable you to play even when your budget is low, some of their outlets excel at this.
Having said all of these, let’s lift the veil off the faces of the power players behind the biggest gambling empires in the world.
Top 7 Biggest Casino Billionaires And Their Net Worths
1. Sheldon Adelson (Net Worth: $36.2 billion)
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From rock bottom poverty to becoming the richest casino owner worldwide, Sheldon’s story is nothing short of inspirational.
This man, who died in 2021 at the age of 87, started hustling for survival at the tender age of 10. He later rose to become a man raking in $32 million daily at the peak of his business.
“I look at every business and ask, How long can this last? How can I identify the status quo and change it?” – Sheldon Adelson.
Judging by the above statement by this late casino owner, it’s not difficult to understand why he succeeded so much. In 1988, he bought Sands Casino, his first casino business, and destroyed it ten years later to build a hotel-casino called The Venetian.
This Las Vegas property is the second-largest casino structure worldwide, and in addition to fifty other businesses, made the late Sheldon Adelson the 28th richest man in the world until his death.
2. Lui Che-Woo (Net Worth: 12.1 billion)
Macau, Hong Kong, is not one of the places anyone’s mind would go to easily when considering casino hubs globally. However, because of the investment of this Asian businessman, the story is changing.
Lui started his career in hotel management and construction before venturing into the gambling space. His Galaxy Macau is the biggest gambling asset in Asia, having 600 table games and 1500 slot machines.
The 93-year-old, however, has more than this, as he controls several other ventures, especially luxurious hotels and property.
3. Tilman Fertitta (Net Worth: $10.2 billion)
Landry’s Inc., which is owned by Tilman Fertitta, controls the Golden Nugget casinos, from which he built many hotels, entertainment outlets, and restaurants in Las Vegas and other places that brought him great fortune.
Before acquiring Landry’s, he had managed the restaurants of a Texas hotel called Key Largo Hotel. Fast forward to 1993, and Fertitta had purchased the business. He’s also into real estate and sports. His company bought the Houston Rockets, an NBA club, in 2017 for $2.2 billion.
4. Denise Coates (Net Worth: $9.3 billion)
Men are not the only movers of the casino ecosystem. The 57-year-old UK Denise Coates’ innovation and doggedness laid the foundation for what we know today as online gaming.
Commenting on how difficult it is to replicate what this woman has done, a gambling consultant, Alun Bowden said: “Nobody tries to copy Denise Coates, because there is no point. You can’t. She’s unique.”
Her company, Bet365 literally mortgaged the brick-and-mortar gambling stores and brought them online. Working alongside John, her brother, these two made casino games borderless and something that anyone can access digitally. No wonder she made this list!
5. Johann Graf (Net Worth: About $7 billion)
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This Australian businessman was formerly a butcher before venturing into providing gaming solutions. His company, Novomatic Group, services many online casinos worldwide with games and slot machines.
He first established a company called Brodnik & Graf GmbH, which made pin falls, before diving into the gambling market with his Novomatic company. Today, Novomatic Group makes an annual sale of $2.5 billion.
6. Kirk Kerkorian (Net Worth: $4.2 billion)
Kirk contributed significantly to making Las Vegas the entertainment and gambling hub it is today. He’s famously dubbed “Father of the mega-resort.”
MGM Grand and other big casinos scattered across the US are some of his legacy companies that earned him a little above $4 billion before he died in 2015 at 98 years old.
7. John Paulson (Net Worth: $4 billion)
A Harvard University and Harvard Business School alumnus, John Paulson, brought scholarship to his casino endeavors. However, before venturing into casinos, he first worked as a Bear Streams investment banker.
It was after he left the bank that he founded Hedge Fund, and Paulson & Co, his signature company that captures his gambling assets.
Conclusion
Of course, many more people have made fortunes from the gambling business than this article can accommodate.
It’s even possible that in the next decade, stakeholders in this space will dominate the first ten richest spots globally, considering the advancements in gaming and the diversification of business now practiced by the power brokers.
