Phil Mickelson gambling timeline: LIV Golfer’s alleged $1,000,000,000 betting history explored
Phil Mickelson announced on Monday, September 18, that he wasn't going to bet on the 2023–24 NFL season as his addiction was adversely affecting him.
Mickelson's love for gambling is now well-known to the public. He has had quite a history of gambling, and several incidents of him engaging in heavy gambling have been shared recently. However, he surprised everyone by stating that he wasn't going to bet on this football season.
He wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter):
"I won't be betting this year because I crossed the line of moderation and into addiction which isn’t any fun at all. 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. 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. It’s like a hurricane is going on outside and I’m isolated in a shelter oblivious to what was happening."
Although Mickelson announced that he hasn't been gambling for long after seeking medical help, he has had a long battle with gambling addiction.
In the latest claims made by Billy Walters in his book 'Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk,' from 2010 to 2014, Phil Mickelson made a staggering 858 wagers of $220,000 and 1,115 bets of $110,000, totaling $311 million.
Walters also claimed that the six-time major champion lost almost $100 million while gambling over $1 billion in the last 30 years.
For the uninitiated, Walters and Mickelson were good friends before their relations soured in 2014. In fact, Mickelson didn't testify for the gambling veteran during his court trial, which led to the latter's five-year imprisonment.
Walters further claimed that the 52-year-old golfer had two offshore accounts with limits of $400,000 on NFL and university games. The most significant allegation he made was that Mickelson asked him to place a bet on the 2012 Ryder Cup while he was part of the US team.
"He was so confident that he asked me to place a $400,000 wager for him on the U.S. team to win," Walters wrote in his book.
Phil Mickelson, however, responded to that claim in the statement posted on Twitter. He wrote:
"I never bet on the Ryder Cup. While it is well known that I always enjoy a friendly wager on the course, I would never undermine the integrity of the game."
The book further claims that Phil Mickelson made 3,154 wagers in 2011, averaging nine bets per day. On June 22, he placed 43 bets on MLB games, incurring a loss of $143,500. Overall, he made a whopping 7,065 bets on football, basketball, and baseball from 2010 to 2014.
When will Phil Mickelson play next?
Phil Mickelson will next be seen at the LIV Golf Chicago, which will take place from Friday, September 22 to Sunday, September 24 at Rich Harvest Farms. He is yet to win a title on the Saudi-backed circuit.