Bruno Mars Allegedly Gambling Away Tens of Millions in Vegas: MGM 'Basically Owns Him'
March 16 2024, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
Bruno Mars has allegedly gambled his way into millions of dollars of debt at a Las Vegas casino, RadarOnline.com has learned.
"He owes millions to the MGM (from gambling)," a Vegas insider told NewsNation, adding that the singer's debts have gotten as high as $50 million.
"(MGM) basically own him," they said.
Bruno Mars allegedly owes millions in debt to MGM.
Mars, who briefly supported himself as a professional poker player before achieving chart-topping success as a pop star, signed a long-term contract with MGM back in 2016.
"Bruno is among the most talented performers in the world and we are excited to start a long-term relationship with him across our industry-leading portfolio of entertainment venues," Bill Hornbuckle, president of MGM Resorts International, announced at the time.
"There is no stronger launching pad for a new venue than for Bruno Mars to be among the first to grace its stage, and we get to do it twice, an amazing beginning to a multi-year partnership."
The singer signed a long-term deal with MGM in 2016.
According to the source, "He makes $90 million a year off of the deal he did with the casino, but then he has to pay back his debt ... after taxes (Mars makes $1.5 million per night)."
The musician's partnership with MGM continued in February, when Mars opened a new cocktail bar and lounge, The Pinky Ring, inside MGM's Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
Mars debuted the venue with a performance featuring his longtime band the Hooligans attended by fellow artists and celebs including Janelle Monáe, Lady Gaga, Victoria Monét, Babyface, T-Pain, Gayle King, Karrueche Tran, and Lucky Daye.
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"He makes $90 million a year off of the deal he did with the casino, but then he has to pay back his debt," a source said.
"I've been performing in Vegas for years, and I've always wanted a place where I could throw glamorous parties when I’m in town. A place that felt like my personal penthouse suite, with live music and sensational cocktails," Mars said in a statement. "The Pinky Ring is that."
"There’s nobody in the world as fabulous as Bruno Mars," added Ari Kastrati, chief hospitality officer for MGM Resorts International. "It's been a fun experience to let him take the reins to reimagine this space. From the carpet to the ceiling, this is all him. Collaborating with one of the entertainment industry's biggest stars to reimagine what a night out in Las Vegas should be represents an incredible moment in this resort's story."
Mars opened a cocktail bar inside MGM's Bellagio Hotel & Casino in February.
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