Singer-songwriter Bruno Mars used to make a living playing professional poker.
Not anymore, apparently.
According to NewsNation, Mars, who was born Peter Gene Hernandez in 1985, has racked up a gambling debt with MGM in the tens of millions of dollars.
“He owes millions to the MGM (from gambling),” a source the outlet described as a “well placed Vegas insider” said. “They basically own him.”
In fact, the source said, Mars’s gambling has put him in debt to the casino to the tune of $50 million.
Of course, $50 million isn’t to Mars what it might be for the average American, given his income bracket.
“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 unnamed source told NewsNation.
The outlet then explained that $90 million annually would look more like $60 million after taxes, but since gambling losses are deductible, Mars will probably end up doing a little better than that this year.
He also has a total estimated net worth of about $175 million at age 38, so he can manage to pay down that debt if he really needs to.
Meanwhile, his contract with MGM, which he signed in 2016, apparently includes free room and board, giving him a little more disposable income than the average citizen enjoys, the outlet suggested.
NewsNation also noted that, whatever Mars’ debts might be, MGM was apparently happy in its business relationship with him, as he just opened a new lounge in MGM’s Bellagio called The Pinky Ring.
Moreover, he was another project “in the works” with Bellagio, the outlet reported.
None of NewsNation’s report was verified by reps from either MGM or Mars, and The Western Journal has so far been unable to verify the existence or amount of Mars’ gambling debts.
NewsNation reached out to reps of both MGM and Mars for comment; the former didn’t respond, and the latter had nothing to say.
Mars briefly discussed living on his poker earnings with James Cordon during a 2016 segment of “Carpool Karaoke.”
Mars told Cordon that he’d previously earned his living by playing cards “for a little while.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
