Matthew McConaughey, the popular Texan actor known for his roles in blockbuster TV series such as True Detective and big screen productions as Interstellar and The Gentlemen, once offered a small donation based on a losing wager to Gamblers Anonymous, the organization tasked with tackling gambling-related harm and addiction.
Loser Gives It Up All? Gamblers Anonymous Doesn’t Think So
Although not a major amount, the donation had to be turned down, as it had originated from a losing bet that McConaughey had placed with Jamey Johnson, a beloved country singer. The bet had to do with a friendly wager between the two men.
They wagered on the college football game between Alabama and the Texas Longhorns in the BCS National Championship game in 2010, with the loser agreeing to donate $300 to the person’s charity of choice.
Although innocuous at first glance, Gamblers Anonymous has quickly taken issue with the proposal and denied accepting the donation, given the origins of the arrangement. The payment was made to the organization anyway, but it simply bounced back because of the way the money was obtained, and that went against the grain everything the organization stood for.
Gamblers Anonymous has been running for close to 70 years now, with the organization established in 1957, but gaining fresh relevancy surrounding the mass legalization of iGaming and sports gambling in the United States, and North America.