Lil Baby was open about one of his worst life experiences: losing a massive $8 million in one day due to gambling. He shared on Lil Yachty’s podcast A Safe Place just how the emotional and financial aftermath of his 40-hour casino marathon drove him to reevaluate his compulsion to gamble and change life for good.
”$8 million,” Lil Baby said, recounting his biggest loss during a marathon gambling session that spanned almost 40 hours. “I lost like $8 million, $9 million in one day.” The staggering loss forced a moment of clarity. “I made myself stop gambling,” he added, emphasizing the emotional and financial toll of his addiction.
That decision wasn’t easy, but Baby took a firm and unconventional step in enlisting the help of Fanatics CEO and close friend Michael Rubin to have him blackballed from every major casino. “I just do s**t. I don’t gamble no more,” he says, signaling a new chapter in life. Rubin actually drafted formal letters to casinos that made sure Baby no longer had access to the tables and games that cost him so much.
The hip-hop world didn’t keep silent after Baby revealed something quite unbelievable. 50 Cent never holds back on dropping shots, so he chimed into the mix with words dipped in a combination of not believing him and humor. “Nah, these young [ninja emoji] crazy 8 million gambling? I thought only Floyd [Mayweather] do s**t like that. LOL,” he wrote in reaction to the post below to social media.
While the jokes flew, fans and fellow artists still praised Lil Baby for facing his struggles head-on. The rapper’s cold-turkey move away from gambling has now turned to inspiration, proving that accountability and finding support do matter.
Michael Rubin’s influence over Lil Baby goes way beyond that casino ban, with the unusual friendship developed over joint efforts in projects such as the REFORM Alliance.
He’s a super great influence on me,” Baby described how Rubin’s perspective often will leave him inspired. “He’s fascinated with the way that I live, and I’m fascinated with the way he lives, so we meet in the middle.
Their bond survived a viral moment from one of Rubin’s infamous July 4th “white parties.” While memes had a field day over a photo of the two, Baby took the incident seriously, telling Rubin, “I can’t have pictures like that.” The moment sent Rubin digging through security footage to clear up the situation, a testament to the rapper’s persistence in keeping up appearances.
As Lil Baby leaves the vice, he’s channeling his experiences into his art. His upcoming album, WHAM (Who Hard as Me), dropping January 3, 2025, is poised to explore themes of resilience and accountability. The project featuring Young Thug, Future, and Travis Scott will give us a peek at his growth.
His second album, Dominique, will be released in February 2025. After WHAM, the new release will again allow his listeners to listen to a raw and honest storyteller.
Lil Baby choosing to face his gambling addiction is such a strong act of personal growth. Taking responsibility, banning himself from casinos, and discussing it out loud shows that sometimes, even the worst moments have space for some redemption.
