Biggest Gambling Losers

[lambroger]

We all know the house always wins, but some people take losing to a whole new level. Terrance Watanabe—a guy who bet more than $825 million and was responsible for 5.6% of Vegas's gambling revenue. He would gamble for days non-stop, sometimes losing over $5 million a day. When he finally stopped, he had nothing left—not even enough to pay for his cancer treatment.
What’s the worst gambling loss you’ve ever seen (or had yourself)?

 

[klevy]

Watanabe’s story is insane, but you’d be shocked how many high rollers go down the same road. I once saw a guy lose $500K in one night playing baccarat. Didn’t flinch. Next week? Back again. Some of these guys don’t stop until they have nothing

 

[lambroger]

Watanabe’s story is insane, but you’d be shocked how many high rollers go down the same road. I once saw a guy lose $500K in one night playing baccarat. Didn’t flinch. Next week? Back again. Some of these guys don’t stop until they have nothing

Yeah, but $825 million?? That’s not just losing big—that’s single-handedly funding a casino. Dude practically was Caesars’ business plan!

 

[greensteven]

the worst I’ve seen was a family friend who lost his house from sports betting. Started small, kept chasing losses, took out loans he couldn’t pay back. Wife left, kids cut him off. Gambling destroys more than just bank accounts

 

[gphillips]

the worst I’ve seen was a family friend who lost his house from sports betting. Started small, kept chasing losses, took out loans he couldn’t pay back. Wife left, kids cut him off. Gambling destroys more than just bank accounts

Yeah… been there. Lost $90K in a year, maxed out my cards, nearly ruined my life. Took GA meetings and freezing my accounts to stop. The worst part? The urge never fully goes away

 

[klevy]

Yeah… been there. Lost $90K in a year, maxed out my cards, nearly ruined my life. Took GA meetings and freezing my accounts to stop. The worst part? The urge never fully goes away

Damn, @gphillips . Did you ever think you’d actually recover, or did you feel completely screwed?

 

[gphillips]

Damn, @gphillips . Did you ever think you’d actually recover, or did you feel completely screwed?

I thought I was done—broke, ashamed, depressed. Cutting off access to money saved me. Gambling thrives on easy access, and these casinos know it.

 

[cookpaul]

We all know the house always wins, but some people take losing to a whole new level. Terrance Watanabe—a guy who bet more than $825 million and was responsible for 5.6% of Vegas's gambling revenue. He would gamble for days non-stop, sometimes losing over $5 million a day. When he finally stopped, he had nothing left—not even enough to pay for his cancer treatment.
What’s the worst gambling loss you’ve ever seen (or had yourself)?

Worst I’ve seen? My buddy dropped $60k in 48 hours chasing a baccarat heater that never came. He legit pawned his Rolex mid-session thinking he’d "get it back in the next shoe." Spoiler: he didn’t. Went home with empty pockets and a borrowed hoodie.