Charles Barkley Says He Lost Millions Gambling on Dozens of Occasions

Charles Barkley says he s gambling again, but that he s found a way to do it in moderation. (Image: sportsillustrated.com)

Charles Barkley s gambling habits can t even be called an open secret, as he s never tried to make a secret of them at all.

The former NBA superstar has told tales of his big wins and bigger losses at casinos over the years, including times when he s lost enough money to make even the very wealthy blush.

But now, Barkley says, he s learned to control his gambling habits…at least by his standards.

In an interview with Seth Davis filmed for The Seth Davis Show, Barkley said that he has found a way to moderate his losses after years of seven-figure wins and losses.

Every time I went to Vegas, my goal was to win a million dollars, so I d get up $300,000 $400,000, $500,000, and then lose it all and the million, so I quit for two years, Barkley told Davis.

You can never break the casino, Barkley said. I went to Vegas a bunch of times and won a million dollars in a weekend. Probably 10 times. But I also went to Vegas and lost a million three times that much.

Add those massive sessions up, and it s possible that Barkley may have lost $20 million or more just in terms of million-dollar swings, let alone the smaller wins and losses he must have accumulated along the way.

Those losses, along with a debt dispute with the Wynn Las Vegas, ultimately led to Barkley staying away from gambling for about two years.

But Barkley, now a basketball analyst on TNT, has since returned to casinos. It s not quite the same though, he says, as he has found that he can gamble in moderation: at least in comparison to the kinds of sessions he was putting in before his break

When I go to Vegas now, I try to win a couple hundred thousand dollars, Barkley said. If I lose a couple hundred thousand dollars, I quit and still have a good trip. It s like anything. If you do it in moderation, it s alright.

That may still sound somewhat excessive, but Barkley has always maintained that his gambling problem, if it is to be considered a problem at all, can t be very serious.

After all, he says, he can afford to lose the money.

As long as I can continue to do it I don t think it s a problem, Barkley once told fellow TNT basketball analyst Ernie Johnson. 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.

In the past, Barkley has talked about a number of he has suffered from gambling, including one infamous six-hour blackjack session that cost him $2.5 million.

In a 2007 interview with ESPN s Trey Wingo, Barkley said he had lost about $10 million over the course of his life through gambling.

 Barkley s Basketball Career

Charles Barkley had a 16-year career in the NBA, playing primarily at the position of power forward.

Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, Barkley s Hall of Fame career included 11 All-Star Game appearances and one MVP award, which he won in 1993.

Barkley is also known for being a member of the original Dream Team, winning gold medals as a part of the US Basketball Team at the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.