Charles Barkley, worth over $60 million, lost $1 million in a day over 20 times due to gambling addiction

Charles Barkley is known for being a gambler throughout his NBA career, as well as after retirement. Barkley once confessed that he lost $1 million in a day about 10 to 20 times due to gambling. He has since learned to be better with his money over the years.

In an In Depth interview with Graham Besinger in 2016, Barkley discussed his gambling problem during the early days of his NBA career. He admitted to losing about $1 million nearly 20 times while winning the same amount just five to six times.

"I probably won a million about 5 or 6 times," Barkley said. "But I have lost a million somewhere about 10 to 20 times, I can't get an exact number because it's going back to the '80s. ...

"It got out of hand. I quit for like 2 years. I remember talking to my friends one night and they said, 'Gambling's not your problem; you're just an idiot.'"

Charles Barkley even once called his gambling addiction "not a problem", as he had money to spend. Barkley explained that he was working on it and admitted that he was not going to stop doing it. He will just be smarter about it and not try to beat the casino.

"It's not a problem," Barkley said. "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. ... 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." (h/t ESPN)

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Charles Barkley once faced civil lawsuit for his gambling debt

Charles Barkley at the NCAA Men's Final Four - National Championship - Villanova vs North Carolina

Charles Barkley's gambling problem reached a boiling point in 2008 when a Las Vegas casino filed a civil complaint against him. Barkley reportedly owed the Wynn Las Vegas $400,000 in debt, with a prosecutor threatening the NBA legend with a lawsuit.

Barkley immediately paid his debt and acknowledged that it was his fault for letting it slip his mind. He also admitted that he needed to control his gambling and stop for a good year or two.

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