Accomplished athletes earn a lot of money. However, it repeatedly happens that not all of them spend their money smartly. While some make immensely successful decisions with their well-earned money, others simply lose it by placing high-stakes bets.
We mean the worst gambling stories of all time, amounts ranging from tens of thousands to six figures and even millions of dollars. Yet the horrifying truth is that it’s not only the chosen athletes who perform this, but also many famous sports names who have been affected by gambling.
In order to be a responsible gambler, you definitely need to know the details of each casino game, for example, is online roulette rigged, and of course, be a rational player.
Gilbert Arenas
Everyone may accurately recall how Arenas was banned by the league for pulling a gun on his teammate Javaris Crittenton.
However, the specifics of the situation were very unclear. Most likely, Arenas was in debt to one of his fellow teammates and refused to pay the money back. A dispute arose between them, which unexpectedly turned into a shootout reminiscent of the Wild West.
Terrence Kiel
Kiel’s gambling addiction became so severe that he turned to trafficking codeine-based cough syrup from a San Diego pharmacy to Texas to make more money.
He was apprehended by San Diego authorities after the codeine shipments were caught in the post office. It turned out that Keel was indebted to tens of thousands of dollars to San Diego casinos.
Allen Iverson
A season back, Stephen A. Smith revealed that Iverson was struggling with some personal addictions, including substance abuse, associated with his divorce.
However, Smith has also reported that Iverson was battling a gambling addiction. Smith said in his column in the Philadelphia Inquirer that Iverson would either get drunk or gamble his entire life away.
Michael Jordan
There are many stories about Michael Jordan’s gambling, and most everyone in the sports industry is aware that his majesty loves to bet.
When he was playing, he was seen at the high roller table in Atlantic City the night before the game. It went so far that the NBA had to initiate proceedings into his behavior.
Some people think that his first resignation was a prohibition on gambling. Some say that even his children picked up a Vegas addiction after they tweeted that they lost $56,000 over a weekend in Sin City.
Art Schlichter
Schlichter was a one-round draft pick for the Baltimore Colts, who gave in to his gambling problem.
He allegedly spent his entire roster bonus on gambling and proceeded to spend all of his money by placing bets on events.
In 1983, the NFL prohibited him for gambling. Moreover, he has served multiple terms in jail due to various incidents involving gambling.
Paul LoDuca
Paul was known as a growth hormone user in the Mitchell investigation. However, his conflicting experiences don’t end there. He was at one point investigated by Major League Baseball for gambling debts.
Reportedly, LoDuca was in debt to someone, and the person reached out to his former team, the Florida Marlins, about his debt from 2005. Next, when he was playing for the New York Mets, some bookies allegedly attempted to get into Shea Stadium to receive their money from LoDuca. It was mafia blackmail he was receiving.
Phil Mickelson
Lefty was rumored to be a relatively big gambler. He purportedly lost $200,000 to his golf colleagues after requesting them to raise the stakes in a golf game by $1.
There were also reports that Mickelson was ready to wager on practically everything, including winning tens of thousands of dollars on Super Bowl and World Series bets. However, now Phil states that he has improved since the birth of his son Evan and the struggle with his wife’s disease.
Jaromir Jagr
Although Jagr disputes that he has a gambling addiction problem, it is conceived that he has paid almost $1 million in debt to two web-based gambling platforms.
The terriblest part is that Jagr’s losses were pennies on the dollar for him, as he was one of the most highly salaried players in the NHL. Unfortunately, his issues weren’t limited to gambling, he also owed the IRS $3.3 million.
Pete Rose
Among everyone on this list, Rose’s story is pretty famous, and he’s paying a soaring price for being connected to gambling. Rose holds a permanent prohibition on baseball and is not allowed to be elected to the Hall of Fame, although he is the absolute leader in the number of hits and has a highly prosperous career.
According to Pete’s own confession, he bet on games both as a player and as a director. He claims that he never wagered on Reds games that he could affect as a player, although there are reports that he did.
Disclaimer:
- As per the Public Gambling Act of 1867, all Indian states, except Goa, Daman and Sikkim, prohibit gambling
- Land-based casinos are legalized, with certain guidelines, in Goa and Daman, as per the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act 1976
- Land-based casinos, Online gambling and E-gaming (games of chance) are legalized in Sikkim under the Sikkim Online Gaming (Regulation) Rules 2009
- Only some Indian states have legalized online/regular lotteries as per and subject to the conditions laid down by state laws. Kindly refer to the same here
- Horse racing and betting on horse racing, including online betting, is permitted only in a licensed premise in select states. Kindly refer to the 1996 Judgement by the Supreme Court Of India here and for more information
- This article does not endorse or express the views of Qrius and/or any of its staff.
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