Phil Mickelson says he won’t bet on football this season

Six-time Major champion Phil Mickelson said he will not bet on soccer matches this season as he continues to recover from his gambling addiction.

Mickelson’s social media statement Monday comes about a month after professional gambler Billy Walters alleged in a book that Mickelson bet more than $1 billion on football, basketball and baseball over the past 30 years.

“Most of you will enjoy this football season in moderation while having a lot of fun and entertainment,” Mickelson wrote. “Fantasy leagues will provide banter between friends and the money won or lost in betting will not affect you. I will not bet this year because I crossed the line of moderation and fell into addiction, which is not fun at all.

“Money was never the issue as our financial security was never threatened, but I was so distracted that I couldn’t be present with my loved ones and caused a lot of harm. This lack of presence has been so hurtful.”

Mickelson, 53, said that during his gambling addiction he had been told: “You’re here but you’re not with us.”

“It affected my loved ones in a way that I was not aware of or could not fully understand,” Mickelson wrote. “It’s like there was a hurricane outside and I was isolated in a shelter, oblivious to what was happening. When I came out there was so much damage to clean up that I just wanted to go back inside and not deal with it.”

In the book, “Gambler: Secrets from a Life of Risk,” Walters alleged that Mickelson made 858 bets of $220,000 and 1,115 bets of $110,000 between 2010 and 2014. Walters estimated that Mickelson lost about $100 million while betting more of 1 billion dollars in the last three decades.

Walters also alleged that Mickelson attempted to place a $400,000 bet on Team USA at the 2012 Ryder Cup in which he was competing. Mickelson denied trying to bet on the Ryder Cup.

According to Walters’ book, he met Mickelson at the 2006 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The two formed a betting partnership in 2008, giving Walters access to offshore sports betting accounts that Mickelson used to make big bets.

Walters and Mickelson suspended their partnership in the spring of 2014, when it was revealed that federal authorities were investigating a series of stock transactions the two had made. They had a falling out after Mickelson refused to testify on Walters’ behalf in an insider trading case against Walters. In April 2017, Walters was convicted of conspiracy, securities fraud and wire fraud and sentenced to five years in federal prison. His sentence was eventually commuted by then-President Donald Trump.

“If you ever cross the line into moderation and into addiction, hopefully you won’t mistake your enablers for friends like I did,” Mickelson said. “Hopefully you don’t have to publicly deal with these difficult times so others can take advantage of you like I did.” Mickelson credited his wife, Amy, with helping him address his addiction. He wrote that he has received professional help for many years.

“She loved me and supported me through my darkest and most difficult times,” Mickelson wrote. “I couldn’t have gotten through this without her. I am so grateful for her strength in helping us overcome the many challenges I have created for us. Thanks to her love, support and commitment, I am back.” path to be the person I want to be.

ESPN writer David Purdum contributed to this report.