The NHL: When gambling reaches the headlines for the wrong reasons

If you are new to the NHL, worry not as today we can give you all the information about it.  The NHL is the National Hockey League which is a professional ice hockey competition that takes place in the Northern part of Canada and America. The NFL and the NBA are quite the frontrunners when it comes to sports, however NHL is another force to be reckoned with. Many bookmakers enjoy many bets related to the NHL, possibly raising any gambling addictions amongst athletes?

For many people, gambling is a fun way to enjoy playing. The placing of bets using real money instills a sense of competition and eagerness to win.  For us commoners our disposable income is not much, and we try to act responsible when it comes to using real money wagers, however this is not the same case when it comes to professional athletes.  Athletes enjoy chunkier salaries as opposed to you and me, and this the amount of free flowing money, sometimes is alarming when gambling is considered.  Sports has always been doomed when it comes to athletes betting on games and other sporting events. If we had to lookback at some of the biggest professional athletes with gambling addictions, we have to mention the following:

-  Micheal Jordan

-  Wayne Rooney

-  Paul Hornung

-  Charles Barkley

-  John Daly

-  Art Schlichter

If we focus on the NHL, some of the biggest players in the league have battled gambling addictions in the past.  Jaromir Jagr was one of the biggest players in the 1989 - 1990 season, and of course took home one of the biggest salaries the NFL offered. Unfortunately, Jagr made headlines for the wrong reasons a decade ago, and it was rumoured that the athlete had blown up $1 million on online casinos.

Another NHL frontrunner that made the headlines due to a serious gambing addiction is Rick Tocchet.  The former athlete played for many teams during his tenure, these include the Arizona Coyotes, the Los Angeles Kings, the Philadelphia Flyers and even the Washington Capitals. Nowadays you will find Tocchet enjoying a coaching role at the Arizona Coyotes, however back in the day eyebrows were raised when the coach’s name was even mentioned.  Unfortunately, Tocchet was heavily involved in an illicit gambling ring, and allegedly he was the main bookmaker  and mastermind for the stunt.

Due to the stunt, Tocchet was eventually banned from the NHL for a period of 2 years.  After this was all over and the dust settled , Tocchet was welcomed back at the NHL as head coach of Tampa Bay Lightning. The illegal activity raised more than 1mil and included some notable names such as Janet Jones the wife of  NHL former star Wayne Gretzky.

The Rick Tocchet saga dominated the headlines for a long time, and both Jones and Tocchet ended up suing for defamation.  If you would like to gamble in a legal way, many bookmakers are happy and ready to take your bets.  There is no need for illegal gambling, you just need to find a reliable online bookie or a casino offering sports betting. Check out all the online casinos that offer you NHL gambling and go all in for the win.

Other gambling scandals have doomed the NHL through the years.  Evander Kane, the San Jose Sharks forward made headlines, when he faced some unpaid casino gambling at a Las Vegas land based casino. Following such bad press for the NHL, some of the competition stars came out to talk and promote gambling, however they stressed that such gambling activities should be done responsibly via the many bookmakers, and also legally. Don La Greca, an ax NHL star, even launched a gambling segment as part of The Michael Kay Show.

Question is, how can gambling be done responsibly?

There are many ways that gambling can take place, and here we will only promote the responsible way.  Many bookmakers online offer you NHL odds. Recent studies show that professional athletes have a bigger inclination to gamble with a 7% uplift more inclined to develop a gambling addiction.

If you are looking for legal ways to bet on the NHL without having to delve into illegal gambling rings, you can.  Simply head over to online casinos and look for NHL odds and betting options.  This is the way that betting should be done.

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