Charles Barkley is a Hypocrite When it Comes to Sports Betting

I find the fear mongering around sports betting to be infuriating, especially when it comes from someone already lining their pockets advertising the industry.

On Wednesday, Charles Barkley spoke at the media day coverage ahead of the American Century golf tournament in Lake Tahoe, and decided to speak out against the current state of sports gambling.

"There's too much of it," Barkley said. "We've got people in the stands betting on who's going to make the next free throws. Think about that. If I was a scumbag, I'd look at a guy in the stands, a friend, and say, 'Yo, I'm going to miss both of three free throws.' Now, that's cheating.

And when you get to that point, I think it's really scary. I mean, c'mon man, if you're able to bet on if a guy's going to make two free throws in the middle of a basketball game. That's obsessive."

It's surprising he has that take, considering his a spokesperson and brand ambassador for one of the biggest sportsbooks in the United States: FanDuel.

So, he thinks sports betting is bad, but he's okay with encouraging people to bet as long as it lines his pockets? That's quite convenient for him, as well as shockingly hypocritical.

Not to mention, he's talked about bets he's placed in the past. Including putting $100,000 on himself to finish in the top 70 at last year's edition of the celebrity golf tournament.

Let's not ignore the fact that the example he uses, betting on whether or not a guy is going to make his free throws, just doesn't exist. You quite literally can't bet on something like that. Sure, you can live bet spreads and totals, but legal, regulated sportsbooks do not and would not ever offer live odds on whether or not a player will make or miss a free throw. So, his argument, which is already hypocritical, is also just wrong.

EDIT: Since publishing the article, I've been made aware that some states do offer "Will x player make their next free throw", but with certain limitations, restrictions, and low betting limits that are put in place specifically to avoid the situation Barkley illustrates.

Barkley isn't the only one who shares this sentiment. I was at the gym the other day running on the treadmill (yeah, I'm working out, no big deal), and the TV was on NBC News discussing a segment about sports betting. They had an "expert" in the field, who came on to list every potential bad thing about gambling to strike fear into people who don't know anything about the industry.

She listed the classic arguments that you hear from people who are scared of new things, hitting the B-I-N-G-O card list of, it's dangerous, people lose all their savings, it corrupts our minds, it's immoral, it ruins the purity of sport, etc.

The irony to it all is while many watch that broadcast, or listen to Barkley speak about the dangers, they agree with every word while simultaneously holding a glass of wine and taking an Ambien to go to sleep.

Of course there are people who abuse betting on sports and may ultimately become addicted to it. But to only hold that argument to the dangers of sports betting specifically is completely unreasonable.

Instead of demonizing the sports betting industry, let's educate people about responsible gambling practices.

Sports betting is here to stay, and when done the right way, it makes watching the game even more entertaining.

While we're at it, don't even get me started on it ruining the "purity" of the sport, as if watching people get paid millions of dollars to put a ball in a hoop is some sacred, pure thing that cannot be touched. Please.

Now, hand me a beer (I went to the gym, I deserve it), and let's put a few dollars on a game tonight and have some fun.

You can track Iain's bets on Betstamp here.