Phil Mickelson, the golf great whose gambling issues have made headlines over the years, took to social media on Monday to share details about his addiction, and to issue a warning to potential bettors before the NFL season this year.
As the 2023-24 football season begins in earnest, Mickelson posted by X to say that he does not gamble on any game. “I crossed the line of moderation and into addiction which is not any fun at all,” said Mickelson, who won six major golf tournaments.
The post goes on to offer advice to anyone who may be struggling with similar issues: “When you cross the line of sobriety and enter addiction, I hope you don’t confuse your enablers as friends like I did.”
The post comes after the autobiography “Gambler: Secrets From a Life at Risk,” published in August by Billy Walters, a well-known sports bettor who claimed to know Mickelson’s gambling habits and stated that the Sports betting on professional players has increased. over $1 billion in about 30 years.
A biography of the golfer by Alan Shipnuck released last year also explored intimate and private moments in Mickelson’s life amid the changes. It highlights how serious the addiction is, and the questionable relationships Mickelson has created through his betting practices. According to one of Shipnuck’s sources, Mickelson’s gambling losses totaled more than $40 million between 2010 and 2014.
Mickelson’s statement on Monday did not address the claims, but focused on the negative impact gambling has had on his life, and the relief he feels to have broken it.
“Money is not really the issue because our financial security has not been threatened, but I am distracted that I have not been able to be with the one I love and have caused so much damage,” Mickelson wrote in a social media post.
Mickelson thanked his wife, Amy Mickelson, for supporting him in his struggles.
“After years of receiving professional help, not gambling, and recovering from my addiction,” he wrote, “I am now able to sit quietly, be in the moment and live each day with deep peace. and peace. “