Patrick Mahomes is not a fan of sports betting.
Asked what he thinks about the gambling scandals that have led pro basketball and baseball players to face criminal charges, Mahomes said the best thing to do if you’re a pro player is what he does: Stay as far away from all things gambling as possible.
“They let us know, the NFL and NFLPA tell us all the different rules that you can and cannot do,” Mahomes said. “I just stay away from it. I don’t want to put myself in that position. Your life is so great, why mess with it?”
Mahomes knows plenty of fans wager on games, but he isn’t particularly comfortable with hearing from fans about it, and wishes no one would bet more than they can afford to lose.
“It gets weird sometimes when fans talk about it,” Mahomes said. “You’re just trying to live your life and play the games and they get really attached — even more than the regular fans — because they have money on the line. To them, I would just say don’t do anything that you can’t recuperate or live without. It’s a crazy world we live in these days and see all that happen, but I think you just focus on the football, focus on the sport you love and why you’re here and you won’t have to worry about that other stuff.”
It’s good advice for everyone, and especially for pro athletes, some of whom are now facing potentially serious legal consequences for their alleged failure to stay away from betting.
