The Truth About Bruno Mars' Gambling Debt Rumors (& What He Allegedly Owes)

Bruno Mars must've stopped making residuals from "24K Magic," because rumors are swirling that the artist is in serious debt. Mars, whose real name is Peter Gene Hernandez, addressed the speculations around his financial blunder in an Instagram Story in January 2025, where he jokingly asked his fans to "KEEP STREAMING! I'll be out of debt in no time," alongside a post from Spotify announcing that Mars is the first artist in the music platform's history to have 150 million monthly listeners (via Us Weekly). The blackjack table may hold the untold truth about Mars.

The rumor of his debt began in March 2024 when News Nation quoted a source claiming that Mars owed MGM $50 million over unpaid gambling losses. Mars, who has a long-running residency at the Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas, reportedly makes an annual $90 million from the deal, "but then he has to pay back his debt ... after taxes (Mars makes $1.5 million per night)," said the insider.

Mars' debt rumors have circled the internet for a while, and the singer has had no problem fueling the fire. In an Instagram Story from August 2024, Mars reposted a video of a woman dancing, with the caption: "Lady Gaga on her way to get Bruno Mars out of debt" (via Complex). The video was referring to Mars' collaboration with Gaga on the song "Die With a Smile," which reached four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 on January 27, 2025.

While the gambling debt rumors give Bruno Mars quite an edge, they're not true. In a statement to the New York Post, MGM Resorts said, "MGM and Bruno's partnership is longstanding and rooted in mutual respect. Any speculation otherwise is completely false; he has no debt with MGM." The company noted that Mars' performances at the Dolby Live, as well as Bellagio's Pinky Ring, is a global attraction, adding, "We're proud of our relationship with Bruno Mars, one of the world's most thrilling and dynamic performers."

MGM made an effort to shut down the rumors as quickly as possible, but Mars was having a little more fun with it. In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Mars said he doesn't want to address the debt rumors because of the appearance it gives him. "I love the lore that I am a Las Vegas lounge singer in debt to the mob," he said. "I can work with that." Mars would do anything to maintain his suave, mysterious look — something that once had X (formerly Twitter) in a tizzy after the Grammys.