Patrick Mahomes Has The Perfect Advice For Sports Fans Betting On Games

Gambling scandals have engulfed professional sports for decades, and Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes wants nothing to do with it.

During a recent interview, the Super Bowl champion opened up about the state of online gambling and explained why he chooses to distance himself from that world.

Patrick Mahomes also got candid about how gambling affects the bettor before sharing his one piece of advice for those laying money on the line.

It's no surprise that many sports fans enjoy placing bets on their favorite athletes and teams to perform well during a specific contest.

According to the American Gaming Association, Americans were projected to wager an estimated $30 billion on the 2025 NFL season, an 8.5% increase from the $27.6 billion estimate for 2024.

"This season, fans have more ways than ever to responsibly engage with the game they love. Legal sports betting enhances the fun and friendly competition that make NFL games and traditions even more special," said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller.

"With strong consumer protections and a shared commitment to responsibility, the legal, regulated sports betting industry encourages all football fans to have a game plan before placing a bet and ensure their gameday experience – regardless of the outcome of a bet or the game – remains enjoyable."

While Miller is focused on the fan experience, Mahomes tries not to think about the gambling aspect of the game.

"They let us know. I mean, the NFL and NFLPA kind of tell us all the different rules that you can and can't do," Mahomes said. "I just stay away from it just because I don't want to put myself in that position."

Mahomes also weighed in on how it feels knowing fans are betting on his performance during a game. "More than anything, to me, it gets weird sometimes when you have fans talking about it," he said.

He went on, "You're just trying to go out there and live your life and play the game, and sometimes they get really attached even more than like the regular fan because they have money on the line."

As he distances himself from the sports betting world, Mahomes offered a bit of friendly advice to those placing money on him or other athletes.

"And, so, from me to them, I would just say, 'Don't do anything that you can't recuperate or live without,'" he said. "It's a crazy world we live in these days, seeing all this stuff happen."

He continued, "But I think you just focus on the football and focus on the sport that you love and why you're here, and you don’t have to worry about other stuff."

Mahomes' comments come days after two MLB players for the Cleveland Guardians were arrested and indicted on fraud charges.

According to a previous report from The Blast, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz allegedly collaborated with corrupt gamblers to wager large amounts on rigged pitches. "The bettors used the advanced, inside information that Clase provided about his future pitches to wager thousands of dollars at online sportsbooks," the indictment read.

The legal documents also alleged that Ortiz and Clase received bribes and kickbacks totaling $12,000 for their roles in the scheme.

If convicted, the two athletes could face up to 65 years in prison.

MLB legend Alex Rodriguez broke his silence on the scandal surrounding Clase and Ortiz during a separate interview, implying he wasn't that surprised by the controversy. "Sports betting has been around a minute," he said.

Rodriguez, also known as A-Rod, acknowledged the "hiccups" that come with online sports betting but expressed his belief that things will get better over time.

"Here's what I will say — through technology and AI, something that you could have investigated over five years or decade, now we can figure and track in a matter of hours," he said. "And that's the good news. And we have incredible leadership in sports. We have incredible leadership in baseball, football and the NBA, and I'm sure we'll get it right."