It’s not exactly a secret that golf superstar Phil Mickelson is a prolific gambler, but the true extent of his gambling habit is probably more mindblowing than anybody previously realized.
In his new book, Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk” prolific sports gambler Billy Walters detailed a relationship and partnership with Phil Mickelson and also revealed some absolutely insane facts about Mickelson’s gambling habits, claiming that Mickelson has lost close to $100 million gambling and wagered a total of more than $1 billion.
Here’s an excerpt from his book, via Golf Digest:
After my betting partnership with Phil ended in the spring of 2014, I learned a lot more about his sports gambling from two very reliable sources. They said it was nothing for Phil to bet $20,000 a game on long-shot, five-team NBA parlays. Or wager $100,000 or $200,000 a game on football, basketball, and baseball. Based upon my detailed betting records and additional records provided by the sources, here is a snapshot of Phil’s gambling habit between 2010 and 2014:
• He bet $110,000 to win $100,000 a total of 1,115 times.
• On 858 occasions, he bet $220,000 to win $200,000. (The sum of those 1,973 gross wagers came to more than $311 million.)
• In 2011 alone, he made 3,154 bets—an average of nearly nine per day.
• On one day in 2011 (June 22), he made forty-three bets on major-league baseball games, resulting in $143,500 in losses.
• He made a staggering 7,065 wagers on football, basketball, and baseball.
Based on our relationship and what I’ve since learned from others, Phil’s gambling losses approached not $40 million as has been previously reported, but much closer to $100 million. In all, he wagered a total of more than $1 billion during the past three decades.
Obviously, this led to a lot of reactions on social media.
Truly staggering. https://t.co/fthOYJMMc2 pic.twitter.com/WUciwv1dOq
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) August 10, 2023
Gotta spend money to make money……………………………..Narrator: he didn’t make money. https://t.co/MvvZrk8jbp
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) August 10, 2023
#LockHimUp https://t.co/MB9MKsfqnp
— B1G_Ryan (@B1G_Ryan) August 10, 2023
My takeaway from this is mostly sadness. Phil was one of the best golfers of our time. He was exciting and fun, took insane risks. And now all we (understandably) talk about is this, scary motherfuckers and his fights w the tour. https://t.co/4QVL1DAcME
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) August 10, 2023
There is not a single athlete gambling story that I don’t absolutely love https://t.co/Mi9Lv6jY2e
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) August 10, 2023
Very funny how the Saudis are now funding Phil Mickelson’s gambling addiction. https://t.co/uJARxOyeGa
— Sam Sacks (@SamSacks) August 10, 2023
It’s clear that Mickelson has quite the gambling habit.
