Let’s talk Charles Barkley—but don’t get it twisted, this isn’t about basketball. Nope, we’re diving into a different arena Chuck’s grown to love post-retirement: golf. And here’s where it gets even more interesting—sports betting is in the mix now. If you’ve seen his old swing, you know it was… let’s just say, tough to watch. Chaotic pauses, jerky stops—it looked like his body was buffering in real time. But that was then. These days? Chuck’s swing is smoother, his game’s tighter, and with betting involved, he might just surprise you.
And speaking of surprises, Charles Barkley is teeing it up once again at the American Century Championship, and he has successfully failed in his fight against his gambling ‘addiction’. “I love gambling,” he once said. But after his losses piled up, and he hit a breaking point, he stopped indulging in the game of fortune for two years. But the itch came back strong. His friends called him a “f—– idiot” for not walking away after winning hundreds of thousands. “In my head, I’m saying, ‘No, we not leaving this MF until I win a million dollars,’” he admitted. Winning wasn’t enough—he wanted to dominate, and that mindset has him right back at the tables.
For the fifth year in a row, Caesars Sportsbook has set a prop bet on whether Barkley can finish in the top 65. Last year, he surprised everyone by landing 58th, easily beating the top-70 line. So the question is—do you trust Chuck to do it again? Well, Barkley certainly does. While chatting on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio, he didn’t waste a second when he heard about the bet. “Vegas got me at 65?” he said, genuinely surprised. And then came the offer: “Whatever you want to bet, whatever you want to bet… and make it light on yourself.” But Chuck wasn’t done—he raised the stakes himself. “I should be in the top 50. I should be even lower than that. I’m gonna play better than next year, I got you…”
“Vegas got me at 65?!”
Never afraid of a friendly wager, Charles Barkley is counting on himself at this week’s @ACChampionship. He talks about it with Colt & Drew on Gravy & The Sleeze.@ColtKnost | @thesleezyman
: https://t.co/NmEfdRUvZs pic.twitter.com/kqjzhmavTT
— SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) July 9, 2025
The podcast hosts weren’t about to let that moment pass. “Well, I’ll take you right now. Man, we can just bet right now before the line comes out, I’ll take you outside the top fifty,” one of them said. Without skipping a beat, Barkley fired back, “Let’s go 55.” And just like that, the bet was locked in. With a laugh and that signature Barkley flair, he sealed it: “I’ll take 55 right now, little man.”
Charles Barkley doesn’t just like to gamble—he lives for the thrill of it. He proudly recalled how he stayed up all night in Vegas, unable to pull himself away from the tables. “It is exciting,” he said. That excitement, though, has come at a cost. Barkley’s been candid over the years about the double-edged sword of his love for betting. On the Club Shay Shay podcast, he admitted, “There’s probably been seven times that I won a million dollars, but there’s probably been 25 times I’ve lost a million.” That’s not just pocket change—that’s roughly $25 million, he says he’s lost to gambling.
And yet, even when Barkley tried to quit, the addiction pulled him back in. “I got such elation [by winning], but then when I would lose a million, I was so depressed … No matter how good it feels winning, when you lose, it just f—— sucks,” he confessed. Barkley’s gambling highs were real—he once walked away with $5 million in one night. But so were the lows, like the time he owed a Vegas casino $400,000. And still, despite it all, Barkley isn’t ready to walk away from the action entirely. In fact, he’s even open to owning a casino in Birmingham. “Hell yeah, I would love to be part of it,” he said.
Stephen Curry eyes another win as Tahoe’s celebrity golf showdown returns
The 36th American Century Championship is back from July 11–13 at the stunning Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, and will be broadcast live on NBC, Golf Channel, and Peacock. A total of 90 celebrities and athletes will tee it up in this fan-favorite event, with practice rounds already underway and the tournament officially kicking off Friday morning. But this isn’t your usual golf tournament—it’s a star-studded affair packed with big names like Stephen Curry, Mardy Fish, Aaron Rodgers, Travis and Jason Kelce, Josh Allen, Grant Hill, and Charles Barkley. From the NFL to the NBA, and even Hollywood, you’ll also spot folks like Colin Jost, Larry the Cable Guy, and Carson Daly hitting the greens.
Jul 28, 2022; Bedminster, NJ, USA; Former NBA player Charles Barkley during the LIV Invitational Pro-Am at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
The players will compete over 54 holes using a modified Stableford format, where points are awarded based on performance on each hole rather than strokes. It rewards aggression: eagle (6 points), birdie (3), par (1), bogey (0), double bogey or worse (-2). There’s a total purse of $750,000, with $150,000 going to the winner, $70,000 to second place, and $40,000 to third. Mardy Fish is the defending champ, having won his second title last year with 83 points, just one shy of the all-time tournament record. Steph Curry, who won in 2023 with a dramatic walk-off eagle and hole-in-one, is back and hungry for his second win in as many starts. “Obviously, I know I can win now,” Curry said. “That’s a good feeling.”
As for the odds? Curry and Fish are the top favorites at +240, followed closely by Joe Pavelski (+300) and Tony Romo (+450). Golf legend Annika Sorenstam is also in the mix at +650. On the flip side, Charles Barkley, who’s made a name for himself more for his antics than his swing, comes in with the longest odds at +750000. But don’t be fooled—this tournament isn’t just about winning. It’s about raising money for local and national charities, soaking in the Tahoe sun, and seeing your favorite stars have a blast.
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