Charles Barkley is a well-known gambler and has spoken about his love for casinos many times during his career.
The Round Mound of Rebound is one of the greatest NBA players of all time and reportedly has a net worth of $60 million – largely thanks to his current 10-year contract with TNT which pays him over $100 millions of dollars.
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Chuck undoubtedly made a fortune during his time in the spotlight, but he also lost his fair share.
The former Phoenix Suns superstar recently spoke with Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay podcast where he revealed that he lost $25 million over the years.
“I like to play, I don’t like to play,” Barkley told the NFL Hall of Fame tight end.
However, his gambling habits became problematic when he would travel to Las Vegas and play $25,000 hands.
“There were probably seven times I won a million dollars,” Barkley revealed.
“But there were probably 25 times I lost a million.”
The 1993 MVP admitted he had to stop playing for two years because it was getting “out of control” – although he still missed it.
Barkley went on to explain that he could have had several salaries between $600,000 and $700,000, but that he would insist on continuing to play until he could walk away with a million.
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“We’ll be sitting there, I’ll get up and my friends will be like, ‘Chuck, let’s go for the night.’
“And in my head I’m like, ‘No, we’re not leaving this f***ing b**** until I win a million dollars.’
Barkley admitted that he performed incredibly well every time he won, but the low points from losing far outweighed the positive feelings.
“I had such joy [when I won], but when I lost a million, I was so depressed. Because of the money, but [mainly] because of defeat.
“I’ll be depressed for a week [thinking]’Damn, did I lose a million dollars?’
“I would send the bill to my financiers and they would scream and scream and scream.
“I was taking the lead. No matter how good it feels to win, when you lose, it sucks.”
Sir Charles admitted he “had to change his mentality” so he wouldn’t have to chase or lose a million.
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“You can’t break the casino and since I developed that mentality, gambling is a lot more fun for me, to be honest with you,” Barkley told Graham Bensinger several years ago.
Much of Barkley’s gambling activities took place in the ’80s and ’90s, when he was one of the biggest names in sports and close friends with fellow high-stakes player Michael Jordan.
The two men played poker games together that were regularly attended by NBA greats like Scottie Pippen and Magic Johnson.
Barkley once joked that Jordan frequently tried to “buy” the pots he played in, knowing he had more money than his opponents to work with.
Gaming has always been a big part of Barkley’s life, but he told TNT colleague Ernie Johnson that his fondness for it is under control.
“It’s not a problem,” he said. “If you’re a drug addict or an alcoholic, those are problems. I’m playing 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. Will I continue to do it? Yes, I will continue to do it.”
