Barkley and Blackjack: No Longer Pals

Charles Barkley spoke about his ongoing drama with the gambling world yesterday, at the Fantasy Springs Hotel & Casino. He claims he can't gamble for the next four years.

That's just enough time to save up to lose another $400,000.



Filed under: Talk Sports


Tags: charles barkley, CharlesBarkley

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1. LOOKS LIKE HE ATE THE $$$$$$

Posted at 6:01PM on Jun 7th 2008 by juscus

2. You can help get some of these children out of the shelters and CPS.

Gamble on that.

Posted at 6:07PM on Jun 7th 2008 by save the children they are our future

3. this guy needs to hire a qualified certified accountant...who has the guts to be bold with his invesment dollar....and balance his portfolio....i would spread that 400.00 around to my constituents....watch it grow for us....and pay some of the dividends to him or his people....but at some point it becomes our money....we want the money...all the money....everyones money....money money..money.....sorry...got carried away....

Posted at 6:38PM on Jun 7th 2008 by herman wietz

4. $400,000 ain't nothing to Barkley. This guy could give me $5,000,000 cash money and he'd still have like $350,000,000 left.

Posted at 6:52PM on Jun 7th 2008 by Perkoff

5. That's a lot of chicken 'n ribs!

Posted at 7:05PM on Jun 7th 2008 by I call Shotgun

6. Dang, are you serious??!! Wow, this is amazing news!! Thank you so much TMZ!!

Posted at 7:34PM on Jun 7th 2008 by Kobe

7. Got fat and contracted A gambling habit.To bad so sad.

Posted at 7:44PM on Jun 7th 2008 by barnyard

8. What's a poor GA ZILLION AIR to do.

Posted at 8:12PM on Jun 7th 2008 by Poor White Folk

9. Former NBA star and current TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley revealed his own struggles with gambling in an interview with ESPN after being asked about golfer John Daly, who claims to have lost between $50 million and $60 million in the past 12 years due to gambling.



Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Barkley played in the celebrity basketball "New School vs. Old School" poker tournament June 9 in Las Vegas.

Barkley said Wednesday on ESPN that he has lost "probably $10 million" gambling, adding, "It is a problem for me."


"My agent has really worked with me to try to get it where I can go and gamble and have fun," he said. "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. It's just a stupid habit that I've got to get under control, because it's just not a good thing to be broke after all of these years," he added.


Barkley told ESPN that he's working to solve the problem.


"I gamble too much, I gamble for too much money," he said. "And it's something I have to address ... I am addressing it, that would be the best way to explain it.


"I think the most difficult thing, No. 1, I've got to realize no matter how much I win it ain't a lot -- it's only a lot when I lose. And you always lose. I think it's fun, I think it's exciting. I'm gonna continue to do it but I have to get to a point where I don't try to break the casino 'cause you never can," he said.


Later Wednesday, Barkley seemed to soften his tone.


"It's unfortunate that it has become a story, because I was asked an innocent question about John Daly and I said 'I understand, gambling is a bad habit,'" Barkley said during halftime of TNT's coverage of Game 5 of the Pistons-Bucks series. "I'm going to continue gambling. I like to gamble. It's really nobody's business, because it's my own money, I earned it.


"I never bet on basketball. I only go to the casinos. … One problem I have is that I'm always trying to be honest. When I talked to reporters I was saying 'I understand what John Daly is saying.' I understand that's a lot of money, but it is my money. Nobody has the right to tell me what to do with my money. Like I said, I'm going to continue gambling, because I like it, but I realize I've got to gamble for less."


When asked by TNT basketball host Ernie Johnson if he felt his gambling had become a problem, Barkley answered: "It's not a problem. 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.


"But I've got to understand you can't beat the casino. You might win a lot of money from them, but in the long run they are going to win more money from you, and I've got to get to a point where I don't gamble for as much. That's what I've got to do, because I'm not going to quit gambling because it's my life and it's my money."


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.


Barkley also said that he believes Daly's estimate of losing $50 million to $60 million is high.


"I don't believe him," he said. "First of all, John Daly is one of the nicest athletes I've even met in my life. I could believe he has lost $20 million because think about it ... if he's lost $60 million he'd have to have made $200 million. And I don't think he has made $200 million in his career. I do believe that John has lost $20 million, to be honest with you. I truly believe that. And I wish him luck with our gambling addiction."


I

Posted at 8:19PM on Jun 7th 2008 by Robert

10.
only PARTLY true;

at his age, WEIGHT and ethnicity, we
can place a SURE bet a stroke and / or
a heart attack will be sooner than 4 years;

Posted at 8:46PM on Jun 7th 2008 by gloryhole

11.
perkoff & robert;

for the record, he made less than $44 million
during his playing career. ( basketball-reference )

that was BEFORE L.A.M.T.;

lawyer, agents, managers and taxes.

so in theory, an entertainment
dollar is worth about .a net 40 cents.

so he at best netted $16 million
his entire playing 16 year career.

just guessing that he easily spent $1 million
a year ( $80 thou a month ) just in
lifestyle and providing for others,
he MUST work today to earn a living.

Posted at 8:55PM on Jun 7th 2008 by gloryhole

12.
why is it always about
race with you people ?

Posted at 9:28PM on Jun 7th 2008 by gloryhole

13. "A fool and his money are soon parted"

Posted at 10:18PM on Jun 7th 2008 by Mik

14.


Truth be told:

I have worked a few sports charter flights in my time (professional league). Theses guys take over the back of the aircraft for card games during the flight and you have never seen so many $100 bills changing hands.

Like monopoly money.

Posted at 12:43AM on Jun 8th 2008 by Sky mattress

15. 100 bucks says he's got something on the B-ball Finals!!! !!! (GO CELTICS) !!!

I'll even bet that he's next on the "All-Star" forclosure roster? I don't feel sorry for fallen(broke) celebrities!!! Pay your fk'ng bills!!!

Posted at 12:57AM on Jun 8th 2008 by i mean to say....

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