Skip navigation
Site powered by
Latest news:
msnbc.com: Top msnbc.com headlines: Price of gas up nearly 12 cents in last 3 weeks

Barkley says he’s lost $10 million gambling

But ex-NBA star not worried since ‘it’s not a problem’ like alcoholism

Image: BarkleyAP file
Ex-NBA great Charles Barkley says he's lost about $10 million to gambling.

BRISTOL, Conn. - Charles Barkley estimated that he’s lost about $10 million gambling over the years in an interview Wednesday.

“My agent has really worked with me to try to get it where I can go and gamble and have fun,” Barkley told ESPN. “That’s easier said than done. Do I have a gambling problem? Yeah, I do have a gambling problem. But I don’t consider it a problem because I can afford to gamble.”

Barkley, who is an NBA analyst for TNT, later had a different assessment of his gambling habits.

“It’s not a problem,” Barkley said on TNT during halftime of the Pistons-Bucks game. “If you’re a drug addict or an alcoholic, those are problems. I gamble for too much money. As long as I can continue to do it I don’t think it’s a problem. Do I think it’s a bad habit? Yes, I think it’s a bad habit. Am I going to continue to do it? Yes, I’m going to continue to do it.”

He also added that he never bet on basketball, he only bet in casinos.

Barkley said in the ESPN interview he’s not concerned about his habit because he has enough money to cover his losses, though he did say he hoped to wager less money.

“When I gamble I should be playing $1,000 a hand instead of $20,000 a hand, because if I played for $1,000 a hand I probably could lose $50,000 to $100,000 a hand instead of millions of dollars,” Barkley said. “And I’ve got to reach a happy medium because I’ve told all of the people in my life that first and foremost it’s my money.”

Barkley said the thrill of competition has a lot to do with his urge to wager. “I like to gamble and I’m not going to quit,” he said. “I’ve just got to get it under control.”

Barkley, elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame last month, averaged 22.1 points and nearly 12 rebounds in a 16-year career that included stops in Philadelphia, Phoenix and Houston. He was the league’s MVP in 1993, and he won gold at the ’92 Barcelona Olympics as part of the original U.S. Dream Team.

Recently, golfer John Daly said in his upcoming autobiography that he has lost between $50 million and $60 million during 12 years of heavy gambling, and that it has become a problem that could “flat-out ruin me” if he doesn’t bring it under control.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement
  ProBasketballTalk tweets

  1. Loading the latest posts…

Source: Twitter. For more, follow @basketballtalk.

Video: NBA from NBC Sports
Knicks, Lin still streaking
Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni and point guard Jeremy Lin discuss the team and Lin's recent success.

Slideshow
Washington Wizards v Charlotte Bobcats
  Get your cheer on
Check out some of the dancers from the NBA.

more photos

  Ask the NBA expert: Ira Winderman

Do you have a burning NBA question? Submit it now, and then check back for our reader mailbag.

Special feature
Image: LeBron James
Who will be MVP?
Interactive: Rank each player on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 = best player, 0 = barely worthy of consideration).

NBCSports.com

Slideshow
Image: Blake Griffin
  NBA All-Star starters
A look at the starting lineups for the East and West teams.

more photos

Slideshow
Image: Snee, 8, son of New York Giants player Chris Snee and head coach Coughlin's grandson plays in the confetti after the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game in Indianapolis
  The Week in Sports Pictures
The Giants on top of the football world, getting ready for the London Olympics and more.

more photos