Bruno Mars has made light of the gambling debt rumors that dogged him for more than a year, joking about it on stage as he kicked off his new residency tour in Las Vegas.
The singer opened The Romantic Tour at Allegiant Stadium on April 10, with his Silk Sonic bandmate Anderson .Paak making a surprise appearance during the show.
In images shared on social media, .Paak made a subtle reference to the history of debt, saying, “I hate to make this about myself, but when I think about how much debt, I mean how many steps it took to get here, I get emotional.”
Mars laughed and played along.
“Andy, I’m sorry you’re going through all that,” he said. “Look, I’m debt free. I paid off the casino a long time ago.”
The moment was a fun nod to a 2024 report that claimed Mars had racked up a $50 million gambling debt with MGM Casino.
The story spread widely before MGM Resorts International moved to shut it down entirely.
“The partnership between MGM and Bruno is long-standing and rooted in mutual respect,” the company said in a statement to New York Post.
“Any speculation to the contrary is completely false; he owes no debt to MGM.”
The casino also took the opportunity to praise its relationship with the singer, whose Pinky Ring lounge operates at the Bellagio as part of their current partnership.
It is not the first time that Mars refers to rumors with a wink.
Last summer, after joining Rosé on stage to perform their collaboration APT., she shared a clip on Instagram with the caption: “Almost debt free BehhhhhBehhhhh!!!”
The Las Vegas show clearly put him in a good mood, and if the debt jokes are anything to go by, he’s made peace with the story completely.
