One thing fans can bet on? Bruno Mars will never stop making jokes about his alleged gambling debts.
The Grammy winner, 39, surprised fans at Blackpink’s Sunday, July 13, concert in Los Angeles when Rosé brought him out to perform their hit single, “APT.” When recapping the moment via social media, however, Mars couldn’t resist poking fun at his rumored financial problems.
“Almost out of debt BehhhhhBehhhhh!!!” the pop star captioned a Monday, July 14, Instagram video that showed him running around the stage at SoFi Stadium. “Preciate You ROSAAAAYYYYYY!!!! 🥳.”
The upload marked the latest occasion of Mars addressing the rumor that he owes massive amounts of money to MGM, the company that hosts his Las Vegas residencies. Last year, a report claimed that the Silk Sonic singer owed $50 million to the corporation and kept renewing his Vegas contracts in order to work off his gambling debts. MGM, however, vehemently denied the rumor.
“We’re proud of our relationship with Bruno Mars, one of the world’s most thrilling and dynamic performers,” a spokesperson from MGM Grand said in a statement at the time. “From his shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM to the new Pinky Ring lounge at Bellagio, Bruno’s brand of entertainment attracts visitors from around the globe.”
The rep continued: “MGM and Bruno’s partnership is longstanding and rooted in mutual respect. Any speculation otherwise is completely false; he has no debt with MGM. Together, we are excited to continue creating unforgettable experiences for our guests.”
Despite that denial, Mars has continued making jokes about the gambling debts that apparently do not exist. “Ever since those articles came out about me owing the casino money you stopped picking up my calls,” he joked while speaking into a prop phone at one of his concerts in September 2024. “It’s me, baby — I got money.”
Earlier that year, he admitted that he won’t outright deny the rumors himself because he’s entertained by the speculation.
“I love the lore that I am a Las Vegas lounge singer in debt to the mob,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in June 2024. “I can work with that.”
In January, after becoming the first artist in Spotify history to reach 150 million monthly listeners, he made another joke about the milestone.
“KEEP STREAMING! I’ll be out of debt in no time,” he wrote via his Instagram Story.
