14 Gambling Industry Representatives Make It Into Latest Forbes World’s Billionaires List

The Internet gambling industry has grown from a small, emerging sector to a major global force in the last ten years. It’s understandable why the people in control of companies leading the way for the gambling niche ended up on the list of the world’s wealthiest people.

With both conventional and online casinos making billions of dollars a year, the gambling industry has long been a major source of riches. Owners of digital gaming businesses now enjoy unparalleled wealth thanks to the explosive rise of online gambling sites and mobile sports betting apps. A new breed of billionaires has emerged from tech-based gaming, from software companies to gambling establishments. The fact that countless billionaires have made their riches from gaming enterprises shows how pervasive this industry is, as evidenced by the most recent Forbes lists of the world’s billionaires.

All Gambling Industry Leaders on Forbes World’s Billionaires List

The Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2025 was revealed on April 1, and the newest additions are self-made billionaires Ed Craven of Australia and Bijan Tehrani of the USA, who co-founded Stake.com. With $4.7 billion in revenue last year, Stake.com is regarded as the largest cryptocurrency-backed online casino and one of the best crypto bookies in the world. The estimated net worth of these individuals is US$2.8 billion.

Counting Craven and Tehrani, there are 14 gambling industry leaders on the Forbes list:

• Miriam Adelson & family (Las Vegas Sands) – Rank: 56, Net Worth: US$32.1 billion.
• Johann Graf (Novomatic) – Rank: 274, Net Worth: US$9.9 billion.
• Karel Komárek (Allwyn) – Rank: 302, Net Worth: US$9.4 billion.
• Denise Coates (Bet365) – Rank: 443, Net Worth: US$7.3 billion.
• Teddy Sagi (Playtech) – Rank: 581, Net Worth: US$7.1 billion.
• Mark Scheinberg (PokerStars) – Rank: 581, Net Worth: US$6 billion.
• Jon Yarbrough (Video Gaming Technologies) – Rank: 823, Net Worth: US$4.4 billion.
• Pansy Ho (MGM China) – Rank: 902, Net Worth: US$4 billion.
• Steve Wynn (Wynn Resorts) – Rank: 979, Net Worth: US$3.7 billion.
• Ed Craven & Bijan Tehrani (Stake.com) – Rank: 1,305, Net Worth: US$2.8 billion.
• John Coates (Bet365) – Rank: 1,408, Net Worth: US$2.6 billion.
• Paul Gauselmann & Family (Gauselmann Group) – Rank: 1,573, Net Worth: US$2.3 billion.
• William Boyd & Family (Boyd Gaming) – Rank: 1,573, Net Worth: US$2.3 billion.
• Elaine Wynn (Wynn Resorts) – Rank: 1,763, Net Worth: US$2 billion.

Expansion of Gaming Industry Worldwide

From conventional land-based casinos to the rapidly expanding Internet gambling industry, the Forbes list demonstrates the diverse character of the gambling and casino industry. Along with associated industries like lotteries, sports betting, and even the intersection of video games and Pachinko (a Japanese-made mechanical game that is played in arcades and, more commonly, for gambling), it also encompasses the technologies that underpin the sector, such as gambling software and equipment.

In 2024, the global online gaming market was projected to be valued between $76.79 billion and $95.5 billion. The market is expected to expand significantly over the next few years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) ranging from 7.1% to 11.7%. The market is predicted to have a solid growth curve and reach a size of $153.57 billion to $172.8 billion by 2030/2033.