Ex-Tottenham midfielder, Dele Alli loses nearly £150,000 in late-night London poker betting

The 29-year-old, once one of English football’s most promising talents, has been frequenting high-stakes poker tables at The Victoria Casino in central London, according to reports. Over several sessions during the early hours, Alli is understood to have lost about £25,000 per night, with cumulative losses approaching six figures.

A poker veteran told Daily Mail Sport that Alli has earned the nickname “whale” among casino regulars—a term for players who are inexperienced but consistently lose large sums.

The source said: We all look forward to Dele coming to the casino because snaring a whale is a serious player’s dream scenario.’

As soon as he arrives, a message goes out that ‘The Dele is open for business,’ and there’s a rush to join his table. He’s been turning up almost every other day over the past two weeks, often playing for several hours and typically losing £25,000 each time.

Another poker player added: It’s actually quite sad because he doesn’t really speak to anyone and doesn’t appear happy. He clearly isn’t short of money and doesn’t seem bothered by losing such amounts, which is great for us. Poker is a tough game—there’s no room for emotion. It’s all about strategy and winning as much as you can.’

Alli’s estimated net worth is around £20 million