There are hundreds of thousands of high rollers around the world. Many of them only used land-based casinos before, but some started using online casinos. Both types of casino platforms offer loads of different perks, which is one of the reasons why the number of casino whales increases.
With that said, some casino high rollers are a lot more popular than others. These wealthy individuals are famous for different things, and we will show you everything you need to know about them. Each gambler has a story, so let’s dive in.
Zhengli Ye Gon
The first person we want to talk about is very, very interesting. Zhenli Ye Gong is a Mexican-Chinese businessman famous for many things. Besides his love of gambling, his name was put on the list following a police raid that resulted in $205M being seized.
According to the authorities, Zhengli Ye Gon had a business that imported specific chemicals from China to Mexico. Instead of using them for pharmaceutical needs, however, he was selling them to the drug cartels.
After he was caught, it became clear that Zhengli was also a big fan of poker. In fact, it’s safe to call him a whale poker because some sources state he has lost more than $157M on this game while playing in Las Vegas.
Remember that many people decide to gamble with a lot of money so that they can “launder” it. This continues to be a big problem in many parts of the world.
In 2007, Zhengli Ye Gon was arrested in the USA, and he remained in the country until 2016, which was when he was sent to Mexico. Another interesting fact about this high roller is that he is in El Chapo’s prison.
Archie Karas
Another interesting casino high roller you may have heard of is Archie Karas. This person became famous in the early 90s because of his incredibly hot streak. According to the stats, the Greek-American earned a jaw-dropping $40M after he started playing with just $50. What’s even more impressive is that this happened in the span of three years.
Karas focused mainly on baccarat, but he was also an active poker and pool fan. Although his winning streak eventually ended, he remained among the most iconic figures in the gambling world until his death in October 2024.
Don Johnson
The next high roller on our list is another US gambler, Don Johnson. Also known as “The Blackjack Whale,” this player has earned close to $15M while playing his favorite game in several Atlantic City casinos.
Besides being famous for the amount he won, Don Johnson is also known for the way he achieved it. As you probably know, blackjack is more complicated than it seems, and the most successful players often count the cards in order to beat the dealer. However, it seems like our casino whale did not do that.
According to him, he never counted any cards because he relied on the principle of probability. In other words, he only acted when he believed he had good cards and the chance to win.
Another thing that Don Johnson took advantage of was timing. Due to what happened in the world of finances after 2008, some of the biggest casinos decided to do everything possible to attract high rollers. To achieve their goal, many of them gave these people tons of perks, as well as the opportunity to change the laws in some games.
Using this to his advantage, Johnson had show-up money, a 20% rebate, Late surrender, and more. These special rules drastically increased his success and allowed him to maximize his winnings. Needless to say, the high roller took full advantage of the situation.
Akio Kashiwagi
The next high roller that deserves a lot of attention has something to do with Trump. Akio Kashiwagi is a Japanese billionaire known for building his wealth by buying land located close to Mount Fuji in Japan.
After he made his first big money (this happened after the government had to build a highway that led to the land he had), one of the things he used his funds for was gambling. The stats show that Kashiwagi often went to the world’s biggest casinos. Moreover, he often got lucky and ended up winning millions in one go, making him one of the most popular high rollers.
Another interesting thing about Kashiwagi is that he got noticed by no one other than Donald Trump. The American businessman even invited the Japanese high roller to his casino in Atlantic City, which is famous for being top-tier for VIP players.
Once the Japanese visited Trump’s casino, he took part in high roller baccarat and won a total of $6M. Needless to say, Trump did not take the loss lightly and offered Kashiwagi a “rematch,” but this time, the latter had to play with $12M.
The Japanese high roller accepted the offer and started playing. After spending close to five days at the table, he was unable to repeat his previous results and lost a total of $10M. This legendary move made him one of the most iconic high rollers in the gambling world.
Phil Ivey
Poker is one of the favorite games for casino cheetahs and for good reason. As one of the most famous poker players in the world, Phil Ivey has 10 trophies from the World Series of Poker. In addition to mastering this game, he is also a big baccarat fan.
Speaking of the game, reports revealed that Ivey won more than $20M while playing it in Atlantic City. The bad news is that most people don’t really know this, and they won’t remember him for it because he has been involved in many controversies.
Final Thoughts
These were among the world’s most famous casino high rollers, but they are by no means the only names that deserve attention. Some of you have probably heard of the likes of Billy Walters, Bill Benter, Terrance Watanabe, and more. Each one has his own story, but all of them share something – passion for gambling.
