How did the Michael Jordan gambling controversy end?

Factual Questions
1

(Note: Not really sure why I remember this now…I think it has something to do with another famous “MJ” who’s found himself on the hot seat again.)

There was a little flap over the news one time…I think it was his first comeback…about how Michael Jordan lost $5,000 gambling in Atlantic City and it was a damn outrage blah blah blah. Apparently, it took a while for these dopes to realize that $5,000 was nothing to a gazillionaire like Jordan, but they eventually amended the figure to $450,000 or something, y’know, so it wouldn’t look like the entire sports reporting profession was desperately in need of a life.

Anyway, this story would’ve probably died within a week, but then someone stepped up and claimed that he won some undisclosed huge sum of money (at least $300,000, IIRC) from him betting at golf, and the lousy welcher never paid up. Later on (so I’ve read in the news), he either accepted one third of the original sum or simply gave up and decided to make up the difference plugging his tell-all book.

Now, I’d just like to say that EVERYTHING about this stank to high heaven. I’m especially suspicious as to why this person apparently never even attempted to simply ask Jordan for the money. Definitely Jordan would have wanted this settled as quietly as possible. Even so, he did take some heat for it, and it still died out without me ever finding out how this dispute was settled. So…what the heck happened?

2

The general impression I have, and I unfortunately can’t find anything on the Web to help me out, is that he did gamble a lot and probably still does. He was never accused of doing anything illegal as far as I know, but at one point I think there was controversy because he was hanging out with some shady characters.

3

So, the part about someone winning a lot from him at golf has never been substantiated?

It wouldn’t surprise me if he did lose a lot to someone, but then why the hell didn’t he just pay up and end the issue right there? Professional athletes have been known to make seriously bad errors in judgment, but this is just inexplicable.