Athletes and Gambling

[MinRaise]

This is a topic that really has been underreported until this John Daly/Charles Barkley thing. Obviously, they are not the only ones with this problem. I think this is way more widespread than most people believe.

On a side note, does anyone have any good stories of gambling with athletes? I saw Charles Oakley at Bellagio playing $300 craps with some women. I played poker with an NFL player's brother. He was awful and dropped $5k. Also played with a guy that claimed to win a PGA tour event in the 90s (don't remember his name). I'm sure someone can top these though.

[VarlosZ]

I don't know, but there's a good chance that this is actually over-reported. Even if pro athletes are no more or less prone to problem gambling than the general population, the fact that they're well known and have millions of dollars to blow will ensure that their addictions will tend to come to light. It just takes a handful of such cases to give everyone the impression that there's some huge group of stealth problem-gamblers in the pro sports world.

OTOH, maybe you're right; I really have no way of knowing.

[bottomset]

I just hope this doesn't influence the gambling bills at all

[lozen]

Phil Mickelosn picking the winner of the NFL and MLB in the same year. Put large sums on both preseason and collected on both. Only one reason he plays Vegas Tourney every year is too gamble. Also he dropped out two seasons ago and there were alot of rumors why.