Phil Mickelson, a six-time major champion, stated that he won’t be placing bets on football matches in the current year as he continues his journey of recovery from a gambling addiction.
“Most of you will enjoy this football season with moderation while having lots of fun and entertainment. The fantasy leagues will provide banter amongst friends and money won or lost betting won’t affect you,” Mickelson wrote on social media. “I won’t be betting this year because I crossed the line of moderation and into addiction which isn’t any fun at all.”
Per ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Mickelson’s revelation comes nearly a month after professional gambler Billy Walters alleged in the book Gambler: Secrets from a Life of Risk that Mickelson “bet more than $1 billion on football, basketball and baseball over the past 30 years.”
Walters claimed that Mickelson made 858 wagers of $220,000 and 1,115 bets of $110,000 from 2010 to 2014. It was estimated that the 53-year-old lost around $100 million through his wagering over the last three decades.
“The money wasn’t ever the issue since our financial security has never been threatened, but I was so distracted I wasn’t able to be present with the ones I love and caused a lot of harm,” Mickelson said in his statement. “This lack of presence has been so hurtful. ‘You’re here but you’re not with us,’ is something I’ve been told often throughout my addiction. It affected those I care about in ways I wasn’t aware or could fully understand.”
Walters also alleged that Mickelson attempted to place a $400,000 bet on Team USA in the 2012 Ryder Cup, which he was competing in at the time. Mickelson denied that accusation.
Walters stated in his book that he and Mickelson “formed a betting partnership” in 2008, which gave him access to Mickelson’s offshore sportsbook accounts that he used to place big wagers. The two of them ended their partnership in the spring of 2014 amid a federal probe into stock trades they each made.
Walters was the subject of an insider trading case and convicted on charges of conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud in April 2017. He was sentenced to five years in federal prison, though his sentence ended up being commuted by then-President Donald Trump. He and Mickelson had a falling out over the veteran golfer’s refusal to testify in the case.
“If you ever cross the line of moderation and enter into addiction, hopefully you won’t confuse your enablers as friends like I did. Hopefully you won’t have to deal with these difficult moments publicly so others can profit off you like I have. But hopefully you WILL have a strong and supportive partner who is willing to help you through being your worst self, and through your worst moments like I have in Amy,” Mickelson wrote, referring to his wife. “She has loved me and supported me through my darkest and most difficult times. I couldn’t have gotten through this without her.”
