In his 2006 biography, professional golfer John Daly revealed that he gambled away $55 million during his lifetime, up to that point.

Some yet-to-be-named NFL player lost $8 million gambling on games last season.

These are staggering numbers. But in the sports media world there has always been a low-key understanding that professional golfer Phil Mickelson's gambling habits put everyone to shame. No one has ever understood the full extent or the 100% accurate history of Phil's sports betting. But some very interesting allegations have slowly dripped out over the years.

For example, a year ago a sports writer named Alan Shipnuck released an excerpt from his book, "Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf's Most Colorful Superstar," which claimed that Phil lost $40 million gambling in a four year period between 2010 and 2014.

Today a new allegation about Mickelson's gambling dropped. Once again it comes from a book excerpt. But this book is written by arguably the most credible Mickelson gambling source on the planet. Someone who had a front row seat to Phil Mickelson's betting history for nearly a decade. Someone who went to jail and lost tens of millions of dollars directly because of Phil Mickelson and his gambling.

(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Billy Walters

Billy Walters is commonly referred to as the most successful sports bettor in the world, perhaps of all time. Over a 30-year period, Billy generated hundreds of millions of dollars betting on sports. By his own admission, at his peak he was making "between $50 million and $60 million on a good year."

Billy used those winnings, and his general business acumen, to build a net worth that has been estimated at as low as $200 million and as high as $500 million. He owns several golf courses, multiple car dealerships and car rental agencies.

Unfortunately Billy found himself in a bit of trouble a few years ago, and it had nothing to do with gambling. In April 2017 he was found guilty of insider trading. He allegedly made over $40 million using inside information on the stock of a company called Dean Foods. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison and ordered to pay a $10 million fine. He entered prison in February 2017 and was released in the middle of 2020, two years early thanks to COVID and overcrowding.

In his soon-to-be-released book, "Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk," Billy places the blame on his legal troubles and subsequent prison term squarely on one man: Phil Mickelson. His former best friend. Phil had to repay $1 million he reportedly earned using inside info passed by Billy.

"Frankly, given Phil's annual income and net worth at the time, I had no problems with his betting. And still don't. He's a big-time gambler, and big-time gamblers make big bets. It's his money to spend how he wants."

"I never told him I had inside information about stocks and he knows it. All Phil had to do was publicly say it. He refused. The outcome cost me my freedom, tens of millions of dollars and a heartbreak I still struggle with daily. While I was in prison, my daughter committed suicide – I still believe I could have saved her if I'd been on the outside."

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Aside from placing blame, Billy has used the pages of his book to shed some much-needed light on Phil Mickelson's betting history, once and for all.

Here's the big revelation:

According to Billy Walters, over a 30 year span, Phil Mickelson has made over $1 billion worth of sports wagers and has lost $100 MILLION.

According to Billy, Phil attempted to bet $400,000 on the 2012 U.S. Ryder Cup, a tournament in which he was participating.

Citing two reliable sources, Billy claims that Phil made the following wagers between 2010 and 2014 alone:

• Betting $110,000 to win $100,000 on 1,115 occasions, and betting $220,000 to win $200,000 on 858 occasions. That's $311 million worth of bets.
• In 2011, Mickelson placed 3,154 bets for the year, and on a single day (June 22) he placed 43 bets on Major League Baseball games that resulted in $143,500 in losses.
• He placed 7,065 bets on football, basketball and baseball."

"Based on our relationship and what I've since learned from others, Phil's gambling losses approached not $40 million as has been previously reported, but much closer to $100 million. In all, he wagered a total of more than $1 billion during the past three decades."

Read more: Phil Mickelson's (Alleged) Lifetime Gambling Losses And Total Dollars Wagered Are… Difficult To Accept

For pro athletes, who tend to have at least hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars in disposable income, betting can be an exciting way to pass the time and potentially increase your earnings. And after the Supreme Court allowed states to legalize sports gambling in 2018, more than half of the U.S. states have made it official.

However, there are some rules that athletes must adhere to. They're typically restricted from betting on the sport they play. And they're especially not allowed to bet on their own team.

Yet Denver Broncos defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike is accused of doing just that — and he's facing criminal charges in both Iowa and Colorado.

Eyioma Uwazurike (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Uwazurike played at Iowa State through the 2021 season and is one of four current and former Cyclones charged by the Story County Attorney's Office. The players are accused of tampering with records during an investigation into sports gambling from both Iowa and Iowa State athletes. Among the group: Iowa State's quarterback, Hunter Dekkers, who started all 12 games last year. Prosecutors in Johnson County have also charged three athletes with the same crime, including a football player, a former baseball player, and a men's basketball player.

The charges assert Uwazurike made about 32 bets involving events and players, including five games from the 2022 season. One of those games was the team's Week 15 victory against the Arizona Cardinals — a game Uwazurike was on the field for. Prosecutors also say Uwazurike bet on four Iowa State games while in college, including the team's rivalry game with Iowa and a win over Kansas.

Dekkers made plenty of bets, too — "approximately 297," and 26 on Iowa State events, per prosecutors. Dekkers wagered at least $2,800 among the bets, including on a game against Oklahoma State in 2021 when he was the second-string quarterback.

Uwazurike is also looking at criminal charges from the district attorney in Colorado. It's illegal to bet on a sport you play in, per Colorado state law. Dekkers could potentially be banned from the NCAA, too — the organization prohibits players from betting on or against their own school.

In the meantime, the NFL has suspended Uwazurike for at least this upcoming season. The league doesn't allow players to bet on any NFL-related activities, and they're not allowed to place bets if they're at a team facility. It's not the first time the NFL has suspended someone for betting, either.

Uwazurike is hardly a high-profile name. He's a fourth-round draft pick who played in eight games last season. But his actions could uncover a wider ring of player gambling — or, at the very least, it will give the NFL plenty to think about as it embraces betting on its games.

Read more: Denver Broncos Defensive End Eyioma Uwazurike Faces Criminal Charges For Betting On His Own Team

However, Brady's ownership might be hitting a snag before it begins.

Raiders owner Mark Davis has expressed his interest in employing Brady within the organization on top of his ownership stake. Yet that goes against a new NFL rule that explicitly states employees or family members of employees cannot have any kind of ownership in the team.

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The likely bet is that Brady will find a way to contribute to the Raiders without being formally employed by the organization. But there is the possibility Davis (or Brady) could balk at the rule, and the deal could fall apart entirely.

This isn't Brady's first foray into a Las Vegas team. He purchased the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces in March 2023. The team won the WNBA Championship and Commissioner's Cup in 2022.

Brady had a long and storied career on the field, primarily with the New England Patriots, before finishing his final few seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He retired with seven championships and three MVP awards.

Coincidentally, one of his most infamous moments came against the Raiders, back when they were still with Oakland. With under two minutes to go in the 2001 AFC Divisional round, the Patriots trailed the Raiders 13-10 on a snowy field. Brady was sacked and appeared to fumble the ball, which the Raiders recovered. It looked like the game was about to be over, but then the officials reviewed the play. They determined Brady's arm was coming forward, and the play was an incomplete pass, not a fumble.

The "Tuck Rule" kept the Patriots' season alive. They'd go on to win both the game and that season's Super Bowl. It was the first title for Brady and set off two decades of sustained success. The Raiders, meanwhile, reached the Super Bowl the following year, falling to the Buccaneers. Since then, they've only made the playoffs twice, losing in the Wild Card round both times.

If Brady's ownership stake holds firm and he can bring a little Super Bowl magic to the franchise, fans might finally be able to overlook the Tuck Rule game.

Read more: Tom Brady's Raiders Ownership Quest Might Be Falling Apart

The Lakers haven't been back to the NBA Finals since, but after a strong end to this past season, they're feeling good about their chances. That means signing one of their stars to a massive contract extension.

Davis and the Lakers agreed to a three-year, $186 million deal to keep Davis in L.A. through the 2027-28 season. The team will now pay Davis $270 million over the next five years. Davis will average $62 million per season in the new deal, which is the largest annual contract extension the league has ever seen.

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Davis became eligible to sign his extension on Friday and didn't wait long to make it happen. He opted for financial security over the potential to make even more money by taking shorter deals — something his teammate has done with great success.

Despite the franchise's championship in 2020, things weren't nearly as rosy the next two years. The Lakers barely made the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the 2020-21 season, losing in six games in the first round to the Phoenix Suns. The following year was even worse, as the Lakers missed the postseason entirely. Davis sat out more than half of his team's games due to various injuries, appearing in just 76 of a possible 154 contests.

The deal is also big news for Rich Paul. He represents both Davis and James (who's signed through next year and then has a player option in 2024-25) and has secured close to $370 million for the two L.A. stars. The NBA has a rule that caps agent fees at 4% for veteran players, so Paul will make about $14.8 million simply from these two contracts alone. His overall client roster is extensive — his players will earn a collective $500 million this upcoming season.

The Lakers are investing in Davis for the long term. Now, his goal is to help the franchise add another championship banner (or several) to its rafters.

Read more: Anthony Davis Just Signed The Largest NBA Extension Ever, Next Season He'll Make 70% Of Michael Jordan's NBA Career Earnings

Last season, the Mets appeared poised for sustained success after finishing with a 101-61 record and reaching the NLDS. But this year has been one disappointment after another. With the playoffs nowhere in sight, the Mets have started shipping off their players in an effort to rebuild.

Now, Scherzer heads to Texas, where the Rangers are in the midst of their own surprising season, sitting atop the AL West. While Scherzer will have a chance to win another World Series ring, he's also about to accomplish something no other player has done before: He'll have three different teams paying him.

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Scherzer's contract pays him $43.3 million per year. He's made $28.3 million of that already this season. As part of the deal, the Mets are paying a larger portion of Scherzer's salary, even though he's no longer on the team.

The Mets will give Scherzer $36.6 million this season. The Rangers will pay the remaining $6.7 million of his salary. And despite not playing for the Washington Nationals since 2021, Scherzer also made $15 million from the Nationals this season.

Before the 2015 season, Scherzer signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Nationals. That deal included $15 million in annual payments every year from 2022 to 2028. And wouldn't you know it? Scherzer gets his paychecks on July 1, the same day Bobby Bonilla receives his.

At least Scherzer had a solid run with the Nationals. Over 6.5 seasons, he won two Cy Young Awards, made six All-Star teams, and won the 2019 World Series. With the Mets, Scherzer had just one playoff appearance, giving up 7 runs (including four home runs) in 4 2/3 innings in a loss.

Scherzer also opted into his deal for next season, so he'll make another $43.3 million. And the Mets will still be paying him — The Athletic noted the Rangers will pay $16.5 million of the 2024 salary, leaving the Mets on the hook for the remaining $26.8 million.

If we're getting technical, this means the Mets are paying Scherzer $35.1 million to go play for another team. That's truly an impressive accomplishment.

Read more: Max Scherzer Is Being Paid By Three Different Teams This Year

This valuation is quite the change from when Jordan first purchased the team. He initially invested as a minority owner in 2006, buying out the previous owner, BET founder Robert L. Johnson. Jordan spent $275 million to complete the purchase.

By most accounts, Jordan had an 80% stake in the Hornets. He's still retaining a small portion of the team; let's assume it's a 10% stake. At a $3 billion valuation, Jordan will make $2.1 billion in the sale before taxes and fees.

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Take away the initial purchase price, operating costs, and federal taxes, and Jordan will walk away with about $1.1 billion. That's about a 5x return on his purchase. But there's more — since he still has a 10% stake in the team, Jordan will get another $300 million from his investment. Even that small minority stake is worth more than when he purchased the team 13 years ago.

Other members of the buying group include rapper J. Cole, singer-songwriter Eric Church, venture capitalists Dan Sundheim, Ian Loring, Chris Shumway, and local Charlotte investors, such as Damian Mills and Amy Levine Dawson.

Despite being one of the greatest players in NBA history — or, per many fans, THE greatest — Jordan's Hornets haven't seen much success under his ownership. Since 2010, the team went 423-600, which is 26th in the league during that span. Their last postseason appearance was seven years ago, and they won a grand total of zero playoff series.

But perhaps things are looking up as Jordan is on the way out. The team has a solid point guard in LaMelo Ball and added Brandon Miller and Nick Smith Jr. in this year's draft. Charlotte also has a veteran presence in Gordon Hayward and will welcome back Miles Bridges, who missed all of last season after being arrested on domestic violence charges.

If the Hornets do manage to turn things around, Jordan will still reap some of the benefits with his minority stake. Combined with more than a billion dollars, that's not a bad deal at all.

Read more: The NBA Just Officially Approved Michael Jordan's $3 Billion Sale Of The Hornets

But the Chargers are ready to put the historic collapse behind them. A day before the start of the Chargers' training camp, the team offered quarterback Justin Herbert a five-year, $262.5 million contract extension. The deal includes a no-trade clause and features $133.7 million in guarantees and $193.7 million in guarantees.

Herbert is now the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history in terms of average annual salary. He'll make $52.5 million per season. It likely raises the price for Cincinnati to retain Joe Burrow, who's in the midst of his own contract negotiations. Herbert's deal will eventually also help out Trevor Lawrence, who led the Jaguars to that impressive comeback over the Chargers.

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It's the third contract worth more than a quarter-billion dollars given out to a quarterback this offseason. Fresh off a Super Bowl appearance, Jalen Hurts received a five-year, $255 million deal from the Philadelphia Eagles. And, after a prolonged contract dispute, Lamar Jackson got a five-year, $260 million extension from the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chargers took Herbert with the sixth overall pick during the 2020 NFL Draft. He's achieved several milestones already, recording the most completions (1,316) and passing yards (14,089) of any quarterback in his first three seasons. He's also thrown for 94 touchdowns over those three years.

Last season was the first time Herbert reached the playoffs, and the defeat will give him plenty of motivation heading into this season. He still had two years left on his rookie deal, but the Chargers were determined to lock him up for the long term. Now, he'll remain on the team through the 2029 campaign.

Herbert was set to make $4.23 million this upcoming season. Instead, he'll earn quadruple that ($17.1 million) thanks to a significant signing bonus from the new deal. And he'll have his sights set on getting the Chargers back to the postseason; they haven't made back-to-back trips since a stretch from 2006 to 2009.

This time, if the Chargers go up big, we bet they'll be a bit more aggressive in keeping that lead. They've certainly got the quarterback to make it happen.

Read more: The Chargers Just Gave Justin Herbert A Contract Worth More Than A Quarter-Billion Dollars

We've also seen Saudi teams making a run at soccer stars. Cristiano Ronaldo signed a massive contract that could pay him north of $200 million per year with Saudi club Al Nassr. And Kylian Mbappé has been offered a whopping $772 million from Al-Hilal for just one season of work.

Could the NBA be next? The Saudis have at least caught the eye of some of the biggest names in the association.

LeBron James (L) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

After hearing news of the Mbappé offer, both Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James have chimed into the conversation. They shared a pair of tweets expressing their interest in heading to Saudi Arabia.

Al Hilal you can take me. I look like Kylian Mbappe 😂😂👀 pic.twitter.com/VH0syez3VX

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) July 24, 2023

Me headed to Saudi when they call @RichPaul4 & @mavcarter for that 1 year deal! ✌🏾🤷🏾‍♂️😁 pic.twitter.com/IX0VSMZYNb

— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 25, 2023

Sure, Antetokounmpo does kind of look like Mbappé and had some experience playing soccer growing up, but we won't be seeing a switcheroo here.

It does bring up an interesting question, though. Does the NBA need to worry about Saudi leagues poaching their players? Surely NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has to be a little worried — two of his league's biggest stars are saying they'd go overseas to collect more money. Though both guys are joking in this context, what if a team from the Saudi Premier League came calling?

We just saw Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics sign a five-year, $304 million contract extension. It's the largest contract in NBA history, and it breaks down to a little less than $61 million per season. If a Saudi team offered $300 million (or more) for just one or two seasons of play, a player might strongly consider taking that offer.

And it's not just stars. Some of the golfers who joined LIV were inconsistent pros. They were intrigued by fewer rounds, no cuts, and a guaranteed payday. If a guy is making $10 million a year in the NBA, and a Saudi team comes along and offers him $100 million — plus other benefits — that's a tough decision for the player to make.

For now, Silver can take some relief in knowing that come next season, LeBron will still be in Los Angeles, and Giannis will still be in Milwaukee. But he'll likely keep a closer eye on what's going on over in the Middle East.

Read more: After Hearing About Kylian Mbappé's Insane Offer, LeBron James And Giannis Antetokounmpo Both Jokingly Offer To Play In Saudi Arabia

One of those teams? Al-Hilal, which finished third in the Saudi Professional League last season and won the King Cup. Al-Hilal is serious in its bid for Mbappé, offering an absurd $772 million for the forward. It would be by far the highest annual salary for any pro athlete.

If he accepts, in the 12 months of the deal Kylian would make:

• $64 million per month
• $2 million per day
• $90,000 per hour
• $1,400 per minute
• $25 per second

On top of that, Al-Hilal also offered Paris Saint-Germain a $333 million transfer fee. This amount would be a record, too, surpassing the time PSG paid Barcelona $260 million in 2017 for Neymar.

That's $333 million dollars paid to PSG merely for the rights to obtain Mbappé. Combined with his salary, Al-Hilal would be spending over $1 billion for one player.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

Early indications seem like Mbappé may turn down this deal. His number one choice is to join Real Madrid. He'd get to play his games in La Liga and participate in the UEFA Champions League, competing with the best players in the world.

If he heads to Al-Hilal, he won't have that same level of competition. Earlier this year, Saudi club Al Nassr signed Cristiano Ronaldo to a massive deal worth anywhere between $75 million and $210 million per season. While Ronaldo is a big name, he's also nearly 14 years older than Mbappé and on the decline of his career.

Of course, Mbappé has the moral conundrum of signing with a country that's committed some heinous human rights crimes. Saudi Arabia also doesn't recognize sexual orientations or religious freedom and is one of the more notable countries where slave laborers are trafficked.

To make the decision even more complicated, Al-Hilal reportedly is fine with Mbappé leaving after this upcoming season to head to Real Madrid anyway. So, Mbappé could play this upcoming season in Saudi Arabia, then next offseason, he can join Real Madrid, merely delaying what he wants to do by 12 months.

We'll see if this amount of money ends up being too much for Mbappé to turn down. If the participants in LIV Golf are any indication, seeing that many zeroes can be very enticing.

Read more: Diving Into Kylian Mbappe's Wild $772 Million Saudi Offer

Brown is still looking for that elusive championship, though he did just score another prize: the largest contract in NBA history.

Brown and the Celtics agreed to a five-year, $304 million supermax contract extension, per Brown's agent Jason Glushon. The deal will keep Brown with the team through the 2028-29 season.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The 26-year-old Brown had the best season of his career last year, averaging 26.6 points on 49% shooting from the field. Yet, after a rough playoff series against the Miami Heat, fans and critics alike both started murmuring. Was Brown really worth a supermax contract?

Boston believes so, and they'll likely go through this again next season with Tatum, who's eligible for a similar supermax extension because he's also made an All-NBA team. With the rise in the league's salary cap, Tatum will likely earn more than Brown will on this deal.

Brown will still make plenty of money, though. The extension kicks in after next season, so Brown will earn $31.8 million during the 2023-24 campaign. He'll then get an impressive raise in the first year of the new deal, making $52.3 million in the 2024-25 season. In the final year of his contract, he'll make $69.1 million.

This deal breaks Nikola Jokic's record for the previous richest NBA contract. Jokic signed a five-year, $276 million extension with the Denver Nuggets. Jokic won two consecutive MVP awards in 2021 and 2022 and just led the Nuggets to the first championship in franchise history. The Celtics have a much more storied past than the Nuggets, but they'll be happy to add another championship banner (or more) to their rafters.

So, how is Brown celebrating his new deal? By continuing philanthropy through his 7uice Foundation. He's hosting more than 100 Boston public school students in his annual Bridge Program, which aims to offer science, technology, and leadership opportunities to young people in under-represented and marginalized communities.

Read more: Jaylen Brown Just Signed The Richest Deal In NBA History