When Charles Barkley revealed the reason for his addiction to gambling: “I’ve lost a million somewhere about 10 to 12 times”

NBA analyst Charles Barkley once revealed in an interview that he liked to gamble simply because he liked “winning.”

Barkley was the 1996 NBA MVP and is now a basketball analyst for TNT's "Inside the NBA." Barkley is also known for his excessive gambling, which he admits cost him millions of dollars over the years. During an interview, Barkley spoke about his gambling addiction in detail. When asked what it was that he liked about gambling millions of dollars, Charles Barkley had the following to say:

“Well winning. Its exciting winning money. I hear people talk all the time say that they like the action. No, I like the money actually. It sucks when you lose but it’s a great feeling when you win.”

Barkley revealed that he has lost over a million dollars in a single day at least 10 to 15 times, claiming that he won that amount back only five to six times:

"At least 10 to 15, somewhere in there. I probably won a million about five or six times but I have lost a million somewhere about 10 to 20 times. I can't get an exact number because it's going back to the '80s."

Charles Barkley claims he was simply “irresponsible with his money”

Charles Barkley went on to explain that he was not necessarily addicted to gambling, but rather was simply irresponsible with his money. He once played until he won a million dollars, but would also often keep playing until he lost everything.

Despite this, Barkley was able to turn things around and become more responsible with his money, leading to successful contracts as a television host and NBA analyst. He said:

"Yeah no question it got out of hand. I quit for almost like two years. They told me that gambling wasn't my problem, I am just an idiot.”

Gambling has been a part of the NBA culture for many years, with players often engaging in card games or small bets while on the road. While Charles Barkley no longer engages in bets that are worth millions, the former Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns player still likes to gamble:

"The thing that I conquered about my gambling was I changed my mentality. I’m not trying to win a lot, I’m just trying to win. You know, Graham, I’ve won a million dollars probably four, five times."

He went on to claim:

“You can’t break the casino, and since I developed that mentality, gambling is a lot more fun to me, to be honest with you.”