Another NBA Star Struggles with Casino Gambling Debts

Ex-NBA player Antoine Walker is facing felony charges after not honoring gambling markers extended him by three Las Vegas casinos.

Antoine Walker, a long-time member of the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics who also won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006, is facing felony charges in Las Vegas for not paying off his gambling markers at three casinos. Caesar's Palace, Planet Hollywood, and Red Rock Casino all say the forward took out markers in $100,000 amounts over several months, from a year ago until January of this year.

Walker has made good on only a small portion of what he borrowed, leading the casinos to ask the Las Vegas district attorney's office to pursue him for writing bad checks in the amount of $822,500. Walker originally took out $600,000 from Caesar's and $200,000 from each of the other two casinos, but had paid some off.

But now, Walker stands to lose much of the balance he made good, as the bad check unit in Las Vegas automatically charges another 10 percent once they are brought into the matter.

Walker becomes one of a number of NBA personalities to have disputes with Vegas casinos. Charles Barkley had a well-publicized debt collection situation with Wynn Resorts, which he quickly resolved; and Walker's former Heat teammate, Alonzo Mourning, was drawn into a financial issue between his charitable organization and the Venetian Hotel and Casino, regarding the use of conference space.

But Walker, unlike Barkley and Mourning, neither has a current high-paying job nor a well-planned retirement, making observers question if he has the resources to cover his debt. Walker is only 32, but hasn't been able to find an NBA team willing to take a chance on him since the 2008 season.