Athlete Gambling Stories
The numbers tell some of the story:. Thirty-five active and former college players were accused of fixing games. Between 1947 and 1951, at least 86 games were fixed. While pathological gambling is a problem that affects relatively few student-athletes, it is nonetheless a persistent health concern for some individuals: 1.9 percent of males and 0.2 percent of female student-athletes are exhibiting some clinical signs of problem gambling, placing them at extremely high risk for mental health issues. Barkley, Rodriguez, and Jagr have all put their gambling problems in the past to some degree. John Daly is perhaps the most-unique case. He lost up to $57 million through casino games and still doesn’t feel bad about it. Daly’s story aside, it’s never good when athletes start gambling for too high of stakes. With athletes, there are two things that tend to be their fiscal downfall: marrying gold diggers and gambling addiction. While the former could be a whole topic on its own, this list will focus on the latter. To try and fathom how ignorant an athlete with a gambling problem is, you have to think outside the box.
Beyond their game, athletes are known for their big pockets.
It’s also no secret that athletes are fueled by a uniquecompetitive nature, a unignorable desire to win. Athletes love the chase, whichis why many pro’s over the years have been so susceptible to betting andlosings tens of thousands to millions of dollars.
Athletes like Charles Barkley recognize that the joy ofgambling is bigger than the money, it’s the thrill. But unfortunately, too manyathletes don’t know when to walk away from a table or dig themselves out of avicious rabbit hole of losing sports bets.
A lot of hard-earned cash has gone to waste for some ofthese athletes that will be listed soon. A few athletes we will mention havelost as much as $100k on one sports bet.
Yikes.
Some athletes took their betting outside of Vegas and to theirown teammates, piling on a debt that couldn’t be ignored, causing inevitableturmoil in the locker-rooms.
Without further ado, here are the 25 worst stories ofathletes gambling on sports.
Professional Athletes Gambling to Excess
“I am one of many professional athletes gambling to excess. I spent most of my time at casinos in Las Vegas. It would often lose $40,000 within a few hours. I used to think that since I had a lot of money that I could afford to gamble. During a conversation with one of the Gamblers Anonymous meetings members I realized I was no different from them. They had little money and were broke from gambling. I made a lot of money but was broke just like they were. The Georgia Gamblers Anonymous meetings have been very helpful. If you are a one of so many professional athletes gambling out of control, please seek help.”
Stress and Gambling Addiction
The above describes a story frequently reported by professional athletes gambling to the point of addiction. Even for those in recovery, the loneliness and isolation of frequent travel and life on the road create an enormous stressor for someone with a gambling problem and their continued recovery. Having seemingly no problem with access to financial resources and in fact having enormous wealth often obscures the fact that the athlete may have an addiction: ‘I have almost limitless money for gambling–why not?’.
Sports Gambling Addiction Stories
Implications For Gambling Counseling
1) Encourage attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings while traveling; in whichever city or town they are.
2) Remind your problem gamblers that regardless of wealth, they are struggling with an addiction and even if it does not have an immediate on their finances, gambling addiction hurts family and loved ones.
3) As with all problem gamblers, it is often helpful for a husband, wife or significant other to take control of all finances. Financial management is key to recovery from gambling addiction particularly in the early phases of gambling treatment.