Phil Mickelson Says Gambling Addiction ‘Isn’t Any Fun at All’

Phil Mickelson, the golf nice whose points with playing have made headlines all through the years, took to social media on Monday to share particulars about his dependancy, and to supply a warning to potential bettors forward of this yr’s N.F.L. season.

Because the 2023-24 soccer season kicked off in earnest, Mickelson posted on X to say that he wouldn’t be playing on any video games. “I crossed the road of moderation and into dependancy which isn’t any enjoyable in any respect,” mentioned Mickelson, who has gained six main golf tournaments.

The publish went on to supply recommendation to anybody who is perhaps combating related points: “In the event you ever cross the road of moderation and enter into dependancy, hopefully you gained’t confuse your enablers as mates like I did.”

The publish got here on the heels of the autobiography “Gambler: Secrets and techniques From a Life at Threat,” revealed in August by Billy Walters, a widely known sports activities bettor who claimed to learn about Mickelson’s playing habits and asserted that the skilled golfer’s sports activities bets totaled greater than $1 billion in a span of about 30 years.

A biography of the golfer by Alan Shipnuck that was launched final yr additionally explored the intimate and personal moments of Mickelson’s life between swings. It highlighted simply how severe the dependancy had turn out to be, and the questionable relationships that Mickelson had made by way of his betting practices. In keeping with considered one of Shipnuck’s sources, Mickelson’s playing losses totaled greater than $40 million between 2010 and 2014.

Mickelson’s assertion on Monday didn’t deal with these claims, however as an alternative centered on the unfavorable impact that playing has had in his life, and on the aid he feels having moved previous it.

“The cash wasn’t ever the difficulty since our monetary safety has by no means been threatened, however I used to be so distracted I wasn’t capable of be current with those I really like and brought on plenty of hurt,” Mickelson wrote within the social media publish.

Mickelson thanked his spouse, Amy Mickelson, for supporting him by way of his struggles.

“After a few years of receiving skilled assist, not playing, and being in restoration from my addictions,” he wrote, “I’m now capable of sit nonetheless, be current within the second and reside every day with an interior calm and peace.”