Fyodor Dostoevsky

The Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky, who penned some of literature’s greatest masterpieces, like “Crime and Punishment,” was a pathological gambler. In 1866, Dostoevsky wrote “The Gambler” in order to tell the world about how it felt to be a compulsive gambler; to always toe the line between the most powerful excitement and the most devastating despair.

The novel’s main character is a dowager aunt who takes a train from Russia to “Roulettenburg” to gamble away her fortune.

John Montagu
The world is greatly indebted to eighteenth-century British politician and gambling fanatic John Montagu, the 3rd Earl of Sandwich, for inventing the ultimate convenience food.

As legend has it, this prolific gambler hated to leave the casino, even to eat. When he got hungry, he would tell his servants to bring him a piece of meat between two slices of bread right to the gambling tables, and would eat while he played. Hence: “The Sandwich.”

King Henry VIII
Henry VIII was King of England from 1509–47. He was considered an egotistical and selfish man, and gained worldwide notoriety for leaving the Catholic Church when the Pope would not allow him to divorce his wife Katherine to marry his mistress Anne Boleyn.

Gambling was a big part of life during this king’s reign. He and his noblemen liked to bet on all kinds of animal fights, from bear-baiting to cock-fighting. In fact, Henry VIII erected the first regular stadium for cockfighting.

King Henry the VIII was such a reckless gambler that he once lost the “Jesus Bells” in Saint Paul’s Cathedral (in London) on a bet with one of his noblemen!

The Countess of Schwiechelt
The Countess of Schwiechelt was a beautiful young aristocrat from Hanover (in present-day Germany) who loved to gamble. One day, she lost a large sum at a Paris casino. In order to repay her debt, she planned a cat burglary at a ball given by a woman named Madame Demidoff.

The Countess stole a beautiful coronet of emeralds from her hostess. However, she was soon apprehended and sentenced to death. Even though, on account of her youth and position, many people wanted to pardon her, Napoleon Bonaparte insisted on carrying out the punishment. She was executed in 1804.