Just to clarify exactly what I mean by professional gambler, prior to diving right into the discussion of whether or not they ever retire, I’m referring to those people who do it full time and make the bulk of their money through placing bets through all manner of different betting platforms. It could be sports betting, applying a betting strategy to online casinos, or playing betting skills games via attending something like poker tournaments or even participating in them online.
Of course what usually happens is that a pro gambler will choose one specific type of game to target with their pro-betting strategy, usually going as far as using one specific casino platform as well. A pro who is into all the classic slots and likes to try out the dynamically-added ones as time goes by would be loyal to a specific platforms such as 888 casino for instance, simply because to carve out a successful pro gambling career you have to be all about consistency. So do these extraordinary creatures with nerves of steel ever retire from what can be a very magnetic “field?”
Chasing that one major win
Even the most successful of full-time pro gambler ultimately seeks the exit strategy of bagging one major win. After which big win they can effectively retire, but they don’t officially give it all up completely. That major win is like building up a safety net of “capital” which frees them up a little more, as would be the case with any other more conventional type of investment.
This is also why someone who identifies strictly as a full-time pro gambler never truly does gambling exclusively as a career. They have other income streams as well.
Consolidation and expansion
Naturally though, to avert the risk of spreading oneself too thinly, the supplementary income streams, which might have started out as primary income streams pursued by pro gamblers, are best kept within the betting industry itself. So you might have a full time gambler who does well via online slots regularly doing a review of any new games they play, new sites they bet on, as well as new betting strategies which they come into the possession of or develop themselves.
They don’t always want to rely on the spin of the wheel for their chance to keep earning their income.
Opportunism and thrill-seeking
Finally, even though they might officially move out of the gambling industry as former full-timers or pros, usually what happens is professional gamblers will take any opportunity to enjoy betting if incentivised to do so. For instance, if a new casino platform opens up and it offers a handsome No Deposit Bonus, an otherwise retired pro gambler will see this as a great opportunity to be in with a chance of winning without threatening the depletion of the capital they built up through that major win they’ve managed to attain.