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A social media post claiming gambling influencer SteveWillDoIt lost $4.37 million after placing 10 World Cup bets worth a combined $4.71 million has gone viral, drawing renewed attention to both his betting history and the business behind gambling influencers.
The post alleges that Stephen Deleonardis, better known online as SteveWillDoIt, won just one of the 10 wagers, with the remaining nine ending in losses. While the figures in the post have not been independently confirmed through public betting records, the claims have spread widely because they align with the image Steve has cultivated over several years: an influencer willing to risk staggering amounts of money in full view of his audience.
The Bets Listed in the Viral Post
The post breaks down what it describes as SteveWillDoIt’s World Cup betting slip, including:
- $300,000 on Argentina to win the World Cup final.
- $40,000 on Lionel Messi to score and assist in the final.
- $100,000 on Argentina and Spain to score in the World Cup final.
- $400,000 on France to beat Spain.
- $400,000 on Argentina and England to both score — the only listed winning bet, reportedly netting around $340,000.
- $1.6 million on Mexico to beat England.
- $800,000 on Cristiano Ronaldo to score against Spain.
- $420,000 on the United States to beat Belgium.
- $400,000 on Colombia to beat Switzerland.
- $250,000 on Norway to beat England.
Taken together, the wagers total approximately $4.71 million, with reported losses of $4.37 million after accounting for the lone winning bet.
Whether every wager occurred exactly as presented is difficult to establish from publicly available information. Nevertheless, the post has gained significant traction online, largely because it reflects the type of high-stakes gambling content Steve has become known for.
A Career Built Around High-Stakes Gambling
SteveWillDoIt first rose to prominence through the NELK Boys, initially attracting millions of followers with drinking challenges and outrageous stunts. As his audience grew, his content shifted dramatically toward casino gambling, sports betting and luxury lifestyle videos.
Over the past several years, he has become one of the internet’s most recognizable gambling influencers, regularly livestreaming six-figure slot bonus buys, high-limit blackjack sessions and enormous sports bets. Million-dollar wins and equally dramatic losses have become a defining part of his online persona.
Unlike professional sports bettors, however, Steve has never built his reputation on providing betting analysis or consistently profitable picks. His content has focused on entertainment, with oversized wagers serving as spectacle rather than demonstrations of betting expertise.
The Business Behind the Bets
Steve’s gambling content has been closely tied to sponsorship agreements with online casino operators.
He became one of the most prominent ambassadors for Stake during the crypto casino’s rapid expansion through influencer marketing. More recently, Roobet branding has featured heavily throughout his gambling content. Both companies have relied extensively on creators to promote their platforms to online audiences.
Those partnerships generate revenue through sponsorship deals and affiliate marketing, making gambling content a significant part of Steve’s overall business.
What remains unclear is how much financial risk he personally assumes during individual gambling sessions.
There is no publicly verified evidence showing that all of Steve’s gambling content uses fake money, that casinos predetermine his results, or that games are rigged specifically in his favour. Those claims frequently circulate online but remain unproven.
Industry observers note, however, that sponsorship agreements can include a variety of commercial arrangements, such as fixed promotional payments, affiliate commissions, sponsored bankrolls or reimbursement mechanisms for certain losses. Because those contracts are private, viewers watching a livestream cannot determine exactly how much of the money on screen belongs to the influencer and how much risk is being personally carried.
Criticism of Gambling Influencers
Steve has frequently found himself at the centre of criticism directed at gambling influencers more broadly.
Consumer advocates argue that creators often present gambling alongside luxury cars, Rolex watches, cash giveaways and extravagant lifestyles in ways that can make high-risk betting appear glamorous, particularly to younger audiences.
Another recurring criticism is the lack of transparency surrounding sponsorship arrangements. Viewers are rarely told whether gambling sessions are funded entirely with personal money, promotional bankrolls or other commercial agreements, making it difficult to distinguish entertainment from advertising.
Steve’s giveaways have become almost as well known as his gambling content. Over the years he has handed out luxury vehicles, expensive watches and large sums of cash, reinforcing the lavish image that has become closely associated with his brand. One recent giveaway involving Rolex watches presented to members of Mexico’s national football team ultimately ended with the gifts being returned following FIFA intervention.
YouTube Ban
In August 2022, YouTube permanently terminated SteveWillDoIt’s channel for repeated violations of the platform’s Community Guidelines, a decision widely reported as relating to gambling promotion and other policy issues.
Although the ban removed one of his largest platforms, he continued producing content elsewhere before eventually returning years later.
More Than One Viral Betting Slip
Whether the World Cup betting figures circulating online are completely accurate or not, the post has once again highlighted the business model that helped make SteveWillDoIt one of gambling’s biggest online personalities.
His influence has never been built on convincing audiences that he is a professional bettor. Instead, it has been driven by turning gambling into entertainment, combining enormous wagers with luxury spending, celebrity collaborations and headline-grabbing giveaways.
That formula has proven enormously successful, but it has also kept SteveWillDoIt at the centre of an ongoing debate about influencer marketing, transparency and the impact that highly publicised gambling content can have on millions of viewers.
