Famous Sports Bettors: Zeljko Ranogajec Bio

Ranogajec’s Early Stages Of Betting

Born in Hobart, Australia, Ranogajec figured out his gambling capabilities when attending the University of Tasmania as a Commerce and Law student. Study finance, banking, and taxes, he was able to utilize his advanced mathematical understanding to count cards for blackjack. Taking a few casinos in the area for some quick cash, he transferred to the University of New South Wales in Sydney with the dreams to become a lawyer until he dropped out to focus on gambling.

Before sports betting, Ranogajec focused on horse racing and blackjack and has even been known to wager on every single Australian Thoroughbred race. His belief is that there are margins to figure out and with horse racing, even the smallest wager can help out. Ranogajec now lives in the U.K., according to reports, however his nickname the Loch Ness Monster applies well since many residents and neighbors have never once seen him. He also goes by his alias, John Wilson, which is the name on all of his business practices.

Zeljko Ranogajec’s Betting Habits

When it comes to horse racing, the biggest trends according to those associated with Ranogajec include four major stipulations.

1) Finding betting opportunities that are highly liquid (on platforms such as Betfair).
2) Understand and utilize betting algorithms and confidently placing a wager that
3) have a significant profit margin, regardless of the amount you wager. However, his margins always seemed to increase as he would focus on
4) getting rebates from gambling sites and bookies.

It is believed that Ranogajec brought in over 5% TabCorp’s annual revenue himself and his action on Betfair added up to about the same. This large betting style came in the form of a group he started up known as the Punters Club. The members consist(ed) of math-focused bettors who are inclined to gamble and understand the times and moments to capitalize. His group was responsible for playing both sides of the line, as he would make an initial wager (causing the line to shift), wait for other players to bet that side hard as well, and middle the action by playing the opposite side of the line as well. In theory, middling such as this will allow you to break even should you hit both sides of the bet in one of twenty-one instances.

He also founded Colossusbets Limited which operated horse racing pools throughout the U.K. However, in 2018, Britbet (their partner) pulled Colossusbets as a partner and this venture was short-lived. Now, Ranogajec and his team operate and employ a few hundred Australians, who run a sports betting operation that deals with spotters, bettors, and analysts.

Casino Bans And Problems Around The World

In his Australia days, Ranogajec was quick to be axed from the casinos. Using advantage play and card counting during blackjack, the Wrest Point, the Jupiters Casino, and more banned him from entry before he was a big shot. In a short time, he became the guy to look out for in Australia and soon nearly every casino in the country wasn’t permitting him to enter.

Ranogajec then took his talents to Las Vegas and rounded up a group of college friends to card count alongside of him. Trips were productive; however, one member died in a car accident, which left the group unwilling to continue. Ranogajec started a secondary group soon after and his success with both parties had him banned from nearly every Las Vegas casino as well.

Issues stemming around money laundering and the connection between personal- and business-related expenses have always plagued Ranogajec. While government departments such as the Australian Tax Office has investigated Ranogajec’s finances repeatedly, the same result always comes into the report: no evidence of wrongdoings.

The largest issues came when he would use start-up money for one of his (or friends’) many businesses operations for gambling. Australian law prevents gamblers from using winnings to fund business operations without paying taxes and the ATO discovered this was done on multiple occasions, whether Ranogajec was the head of the business or only slightly involved.

The Rest About Ranogajec

Ranogajec shouldn’t be labeled as a criminal though, despite his constant involvement with battling casinos and governmental departments. As a philanthropist, he has donated millions to the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, which supplies children’s hospitals with medical equipment and helps fund additional services.

Ranogajec was inducted into the Blackjack Hall of Fame at the Blackjack Ball, an invite-only gambling event and recognition. This was the last time anybody has reported seeing Ranogajec or his wife; however, we know the success continues, as his companies continue to make bookmakers wince with pain every time they see a few billion laid in their books.

Profiting In The Shadows

Zeljko Ranogajec continues to make money from his sports betting endeavors while remaining to keep his low profile. Even his online accounts are private and do not display his photo. Bios on these social media platforms (typed by the man himself) use the word “allegedly” when referring to his sports betting successes. He is known as “the Loch Ness Monster” in gambling circles as he’s a “legend” that’s rarely been spotted. His businesses in the Isle of Man and a series of “runners” and representatives to make his moves allow him to bank in the gambling world while staying behind the scenes entirely.

What Is Ranogajec Doing Today?

Today you can find Zeljko Ranogajec spending the latter part of his life giving instead of winning. The millions he has accumulated through sports betting, horse racing, and other gambling endeavors are now being used for charity. Ranogajec donates millions every year to a variety of charities. One of the main charities he is aligned with is the Humpty Dumpty Foundation. This charity is responsible for delivering important equipment to various children’s hospitals.

Zeljko Ranogajec Named Biggest Gambler In The World

While Ranogajec continues to remain behind the scenes when it comes to gambling, he has been named the biggest gambler in the world. His net worth from his earnings through betting is rumored to be in the billion-dollar range but Ranogajec has said this is a gross exaggeration. The beautiful mind behind Colossus Bets continues to make billions from his own syndicate. However, with some Australian horse racing companies saying that Zelj is responsible for more than 25% of their total handle, it’s clear that he’s moving money in a way that other big players simply cannot.