Billionaires: The 2021 Gambling Rich List

With the news that Denise Coates, founder of Bet365, earned a whopping £421m last year to make her the UK’s highest paid Chief Executive, we delve into Forbes’ 2021 Richest People in the World to put together the definitive Gambling Rich List. Who are the wealthiest captains of the casino industry and how did they get there?

In our Gambling Rich List, we give you all the facts you need to know like the person’s age, country of operation, how they made their fortune and, of course, their estimated net worth. So strap in and check it out starting at number 15 and going all the way down to number 1!

Top 15 Richest People in Gambling

Jon Yarbrough

Age: 63
Country: USA
How: Founded Video Gaming Technologies in 1991 which produces casino games
Net Worth: $2.9b

John Coates

Age: 51
Country: UK
How: Co-CEO of online gambling pioneers Bet365 with his sister, Denise Coates. He owns a quarter of the company and he is also Chairman of Stoke City Football Club.
Net Worth: $3.0b

Steve Wynn

Age: 79
Country: USA
How: Wynn founded some of Las Vegas’ most iconic casinos including The Mirage, Wynn Las Vegas and the Belaggio.
Net Worth: $3.2b

James Packer

Age: 53
Country: Australia
How: Inherited the Crown Resorts casino empire from his father Kerry Packer, the legendary Australian businessman.
Net Worth: $3.2b

Paul Gauselmann

Age: 86
Country: Germany
How: Founded Gauselmann, a leading producer of slot machines. The company also runs gambling arcades.
Net Worth: $3.9b

Gabe Newell

Age: 58
Country: USA
How: Leader of Valve Corp.
Net Worth: $4.1b

Pansy Ho

Age: 58
Country: Hong Kong
How: Chairperson of Shun Tak Holdings, which has major stakes in Hong Kong and Macau hotels and casinos.
Net Worth: $4.3b

Chen Lip Keong

Age: 73
Country: Malaysia
How: Keong owns Naga World, a casino in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for which he has a monopoly until 2035.
Net Worth: $4.6b

Mark Scheinberg

Age: 47
Country: Canada
How: Scheinberg founded PokerStars, the world’s most famous iPoker site. The company has now branched out to include other products like PokerStars Casino.
Net Worth: $4.9b

Teddy Sagi

Age: 49
Country: Israel
How: Sagi founded Playtech, the famous iGaming software company, that develops slots and builds platforms such as Virtue Fusion Bingo.
Net Worth: $5.2b

Karol Komarek

Age: 52
Country: Czech Republic
How: One the world’s richest Czechs, Komarek is an oil magnate who also has stakes in lotteries.
Net Worth: $5.5b

Denise Coates

Age: 53
Country: UK
How: Co-CEO of Bet365 with her brother, John. She is the brains behind the operation. She has a more than 50% stake in the company.
Net Worth: $6.5b

Johann Graf

Age: 74
Country: Austria
How: Graf owns Novomatic, one of the world’s most prolific creators of slot machines and other electronic gaming tables.
Net Worth: $7.1b

Lui Che Woo

Age: 92
Country: Hong Kong
How: Woo is the Chairman of Galaxy Entertainment Group, which operates casinos in Macau, the Monte Carlo of Asia.
Net Worth: $19.4b

Miriam Adelson

Age: 75
Country: USA
How: Adelson is the widow of famous Las Vegas casino magnate, Sheldon Adelson. He passed away in January 2021 leaving the world’s largest gambling fortune to his wife. His business, Las Vegas Sands operates some of Las Vegas’ most famous casinos, including The Venetian and The Palazzo.
Net Worth: $38.2b

There it is, your 2021 Gambling Rich List courtesy of Forbes and WDW Bingo! If you have any questions or want further information about these gambling entrepreneurs, don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and get in touch.