Charles Barkley’s love for gambling is no secret. “I’m a gambling degenerate … I love to gamble,” he once admitted unapologetically. The man has walked the talk, too, winning a jaw-dropping $5 million in one bet. But don’t mistake him for someone who bets recklessly during games—he’s never been into that. Despite his passion for gambling, Chuck recently revealed how it indirectly forced Inside the NBA to shuffle its schedule.

Speaking on Audacy Sports’ podcast, Barkley connected the dots between sports and gambling in his classic no-holds-barred way. “First of all, one of the reasons the NFL is King Kong has always been because of gambling,” he said, pulling no punches. As per him, the NFL’s popularity, bolstered by its billion-dollar betting ecosystem, even has TNT running for cover. “They make us hide out on Tuesday night now so we don’t have to go up against the Thursday night game,” he explained.

Currently, as per multiple sources, the NFL League’s value is estimated at $20.24 Billion. So Chuck didn’t stop there, elaborating on how TNT has had to play chess against the NFL juggernaut. “We’re like, yeah, we’re just wasting our time going up against the NFL,” he admitted.

The shift became glaring during the 2021–22 NBA season when TNT moved its marquee games to Tuesday nights. Post-game analysis aired after those games until football season ended, showing the network’s strategy to sidestep Thursday Night Football’s dominance. By January of that season, TNT’s programming had completely changed. The NBA on TNT Post-game Show took center stage, hosted by Adam Lefkoe and featuring Shaq, Candace Parker, and Dwyane Wade. But not everyone stuck around—Wade, for one, stepped away from TNT coverage the following season.

Interestingly, this isn’t Chuck’s first jab at the NFL. Back in 2022, he openly criticized the league for how intertwined it’s become with gambling.

Charles Barkley criticizes in-game gambling and NFL

It’s no secret that sports betting is booming, with legal sportsbooks now operating in 30 states and even popping up inside NBA arenas. Charles Barkley, a known gambling enthusiast, isn’t blind to the growing influence of betting in sports. “Listen, gambling’s always been part of sports,” Barkley shared during a media event ahead of the annual American Century celebrity golf tournament.

But he also admitted to being uneasy about how accessible it’s become. “I am concerned that you can sit in the stands and make bets now in the middle of a basketball game. The toothpaste is out of the tube, and I don’t know how to put it back in.”

During another interview on The Phillies Show, Barkley pointed out another darker side. “I’m a gambling degenerate … I love to gamble,” he said. “But some of the stuff that I see now is scary to me. That you can sit on your phone and bet who’s going to score the next basket or whether a guy’s going to make both free throws.” He called it dangerous, adding that such bets seem to take away from the essence of the game.

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Barkley also highlighted how social media amplifies criticism when players don’t meet expectations tied to bets. “I’m hearing now that these guys are getting criticized if they don’t get X amount of points, X amount of rebounds,” he explained. Reflecting on his career, he said, “I’m so glad I didn’t play during the social media era.”