- Alexander Zverev mentioned joining his brother at Melbourne casinos during the Australian Open.
- Drake Maye was photographed playing blackjack days before the AFC Championship game.
- Trey Galloway got nicknamed "Blackjack Galloway" after gambling late before a tournament game.
MELBOURNE — Casino trips by well-known athletes have gotten attention while major competitions are underway. Alexander Zverev, Drake Maye, and Trey Galloway each showed up at gambling spots during their active tournaments and games. What happened has people talking about how athletes should be getting ready and what the rules on gambling need to be.
Alexander Zverev brought up casinos once his first-round Australian Open match wrapped up. His brother had been winning at Melbourne casinos while the tournament went on, and Zverev said hearing about it made him want to give it a shot. He talked about this with reporters on the court at Rod Laver Arena after playing.
Patriots Quarterback Draws Criticism for Casino Visit
Photographs surfaced of New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye at a casino sitting at blackjack tables following his team's divisional playoff win over the Houston Texans. Legal blackjack locations exist in numerous states where NFL teams visit for road games, though league regulations about player gambling activities are not uniform across the board.
The Patriots won that game 28–16 even though Maye turned the ball over multiple times with four fumbles and threw one interception. The casino visit happened only days before the Patriots had their AFC Championship game scheduled.
The Trey Galloway Incident
Indiana's Trey Galloway was reported at blackjack tables late into the night before a 2024 Battle 4 Atlantis game in the Bahamas. The Nassau resort where teams stayed had casino facilities on site. After the tale spread, people began referring to him as "Blackjack Galloway" on social media. The situation put heat on coach Mike Woodson and brought up bigger concerns about how well the NCAA actually keeps track of what players do when they're on sanctioned trips and if the rules about conduct need to be tougher.
Sports betting has increased significantly across the US in recent years. For away games and contests, athletes often stay at hotels with casino facilities. Due to the availability of Massachusetts blackjack sites and other similar online gambling platforms in states where sports betting is legal, there are now more possibilities for casino-style gambling outside of physical locations.
Professional leagues and collegiate athletic departments enforce different regulations on athlete gambling. These instances have revived the topic of whether existing regulations adequately regulate athletes' casino gaming during periods of active competition.