Celebrities and their love for gambling and betting is not exactly a secret, so don’t be surprised if you find your favourite singer in the heavy metal genre, playing in the same casino as you! However, the chances of that happening are low these days, unfortunately, as most of the gambling world has shifted to online mediums now. Nevertheless, go through the list and see if your hard metal idol has a soft spot for live casinos and slots games too.
Scott Ian
Scott Ian at 56 is still one of the biggest names in heavy metal, and he has been associated and dissociated with more famous names in metal music culture than casual metalheads can even remember! Scott is not just the rhythm guitarist and backup lead vocal at Anthrax; he is also the man who has kept Anthrax together as the only original member of the thrash metal band. Scott Ian currently holds his position as the sole lyricist for Storm Troopers of Death and Anthrax quite successfully.
As would be expected from a successful and phenomenal name in heavy metal who is also worth over US$6 million, Scott happens to be an ardent fan of gambling. Poker being his main jam, Ian has taken part in the Aruba Poker Classic, as well as the World Series of Poker two times consecutively in 2008 and 2009.
He’s also a big fan of casino games though and even became a brand ambassador for the unique Metal Casino that’s available online (read the Metal Casino review for more on that).
However, in spite of his great love for the classic casino games such as poker and blackjack, Scott almost had to give up on gambling post-2009. He found it impossible to fit in his favourite hobby while writing lyrics, playing the guitar, authoring books and so much more that he does simultaneously even today!
As Ian has mentioned in his posts and interviews, live casinos and online poker have once again made it possible for the heavy metal superstar to squeeze in a few rounds every now and then. Whether you are a super busy celebrity or not, it’s more than likely that you are most definitely busy in your own life. Take a cue from Scott himself and give the unique live experience with Slots Heaven a try. They have a new player bonus of $100 + 20 spins going on at the moment that you can take advantage of and get a head start on the casino.
Salvatore Paul Erna (Sully)
Sully is the lead vocalist and guitarist at Godsmack, who is worth over US$16 million today. Whether you like Godsmack or not, there’s no denying the massive popularity Sully enjoys, along with the respect of his peers from far more popular bands.
Being a master musician and a world-famous celebrity, Paul is often regarded as one of the world’s top 50 best heavy metal vocalists of all time. Aside from his abilities as a heavy metal band’s vocalist and guitarist, Sully is also proficient in playing a number of other musical instruments such as the harmonica, the piano and just about any percussion instrument available.
There are quite a few stories around that confirm Salvatore Paul Erna’s love for the casino games, but none of them are as interesting as the one related to the tattoo on his back. The huge tattoo on Sully’s back, which consists of four burning Aces and the phrase, “No Justice” is a representation of his realisation of the same phrase. The realisation came after he lost a game of poker pretty badly and learned that in poker, justice is a non-existent phenomenon!
Lemmy Kilmister (Lemmy)
There is no other celebrity in heavy metal who enjoyed slots more than the late legend himself. He was quoted famously for stating that he is in love with the act of gambling itself, rather than winning or losing, which he completely understands as being out of his control most of the time.
Not that he didn’t like table games too, but Lemmy Kilmister had a special weakness for slots. From casinos in London and LA to online slot games, Lemmy Kilmister loved them all.
As far as status among the metalheads goes, hardly anyone can match up to Lemmy Kilmister. He founded the British metal rock band Motörhead and was also the lead vocalist, bassist, and lyricist for the legendary band.
Before he founded Motörhead in 1975, Lemmy was briefly associated with Sam Gopal, The Head Cat, Ugly Kid Joe, The Rockin’ Vickers and, of course, Hawkwind.
Even if we missed some of the names, it is only because the number of popular metal band superstars that love gambling is simply too high to mention them all in here! In spite of that, you will still be hard-pressed to find names in music who can top these three legends in their love for gambling.