The tales of Phil Mickelson’s gambling are infamous. While he did indulge in casinos and cards, his biggest addiction was sports betting. For those who aren’t aware, reports have suggested that Phil Mickelson bet around $1 billion throughout his career.
While he may have already spent a lot, he admitted that he drew the line when it came to betting on the sport that gave him so much.
This response came to allegations of him betting $400,000 on Team USA to win the Ryder Cup 2012. Mickelson was a part of the team back then, and they lost to Europe; “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.” But the tales of the LIV Golf maestro’s gambling adventures are not the only ones known to the golf world.
This time around, the person in question is John Daly. He also has enjoyed gambling, so much so that he once threw $55,000 off a bridge that he had won that night in a casino because his then-wife Sherrie was “annoying” him. Daly once joined the In Depth with Graham Basinger podcast, where he provided details of his gambling spree.
The golfer revealed that he had spent a whopping “55 million. 😳” from 1991 to 2007 in wagering. Bensinger asked Daly, “How was that even possible?” for him to spend this much? The pro golfer replied, “Stupidity,” as he went on to explain how he realized how much he had lost. Daly added, “We went through all my tax records to find out because I really didnt know.”
The golfer revealed that he had spent a whopping “55 million. 😳” from 1991 to 2007 in wagering. Bensinger asked Daly, “How was that even possible?” for him to spend this much? The pro golfer replied, “Stupidity,” as he went on to explain how he realized how much he had lost. Daly added, “We went through all my tax records to find out because I really didnt know.”
In 2005, at the WGC-American Express Championship, Daly lost to Tiger Woods in a playoff and was devastated. He did win $750,000, and to ease the pain, he went to Las Vegas, with the check he had just won. He lost $600,000 in less than 30 minutes. He then got the credit from the casino and ended up losing $1.65 million in five hours of gambling over several games. After the shocking revelation and hearing John Daly’s explanation, Graham also wanted to learn more about why the 58-year-old liked gambling.
Why did John Daly like gambling?
Bensinger asked Daly what he liked about gambling. The 2x major winner immediately replied, “I loved the action. I loved the adrenaline, going in there.” Sharing a bit about how things have changed in gambling, Daly added, “When I was playing a lot of blackjack, you could play 7 hands at any amount you wanted,” as he stated that the number of hands has been reduced to 3 around the world. He continued to recollect his memories, “I’d go in, 7 hands at $5,000, $10,000, and $15,000 a hand back then.”
Graham then questioned whether the rumors of Daly liking the slot machines more were true. Long John stated, “I started playing slots knowing that if I took a lot less money in or did get a marker for it at the slots, you could last a little bit longer,” before sharing how the $5,000-a-coin machine was later introduced that rewarded $10,000 with 3 cherries.
He clarified that he only “played it 5 or 6 times. It’s not there anymore,” before admitting that he still sometimes gambled but at lower stakes; “Now if I gamble, I go in and play the $25 slots,” Daly said. “If I hit something I might move up to the hundreds.”
While it may seem wild to many, knowing the wild lifestyle John Daly lived, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Do you think Daly would have also spent as much as LIV Golf player Phil Mickelson had he continued to gamble to this day? Share your views in the comments section.
