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Travis Kelce, along with the Kansas City Chiefs, suffered a crushing loss at Super Bowl LIX after being obliterated 40-22 by the Philadelphia Eagles. But his brother, Jason, also turned out to be a loser over the course of that eventful weekend.
The retired NFLer revealed that he lost "all my money" gambling while in New Orleans for the big game Feb. 9.
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"Casino’s right next door, and because I won so much money last year at Las Vegas [at the Super Bowl], I thought, ‘You know, hey, we’ll just keep this rolling, this will be great,”’ Jason Kelce recalled during an episode of the "New Heights" podcast he hosts along with Travis.
But the magic didn’t work this time. He described one point while playing craps as being "a bigger bloodbath than the game."
Jason failed to take his own advice before hitting the tables.
"I don’t normally go to the casino," he said. "It’s just like handing them money."
Fortunately for Jason, after earning $80-plus million over 13 years as a player and signing a $24-million contract with ESPN last May, he likely can absorb the loss.
Why people lose money gambling
Jason’s case isn’t surprising. With sports betting and other forms of gambling becoming increasingly popular, the problem has spread like wildfire.
About 85% of U.S. adults have gambled at least once in their lives, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), while 60% have gambled within the past year.
The problem, though, is that gambling can lead to serious financial losses. The NCPG estimates that problem gambling costs Americans $14 billion per year in the form of gambling-related criminal justice and health-care spending, job loss, bankruptcy and other consequences.
Build healthy money habits
One of the problems with gambling is that it can start as a social activity and turn dark quickly. It can be hard to say no when friends invite you to a casino to celebrate a birthday or bachelor party. But even a single night of gambling could have serious financial consequences.
One thing you may want to do is only bring cash with you to a casino. Leave your credit and debit cards at home to avoid the temptation to gamble more or "win back" your losses. Another option is to say no to gambling altogether if it’s something you’re uncomfortable with.
Once you feel like you’re in control, start practicing healthy money habits and set aside a portion of your paycheck for investments.
Start small but be consistent
You don’t have to invest significant sums of money or time the markets perfectly in order to build a nice portfolio. The trick, according to legendary investor Warren Buffett, lies in investing consistently and harnessing the benefits of compound interest.
You can turn everyday spending into an investment opportunity with Acorns. When you link your credit and debit cards, Acorns automatically rounds up your purchases to the nearest dollar and deposits the excess in low-cost diversified ETFs.
So, your $4.25 morning coffee becomes a 75-cent investment in your future. While spare change from everyday purchases might not seem like much, it adds up over time. Just $2.50 worth of daily round-ups amounts to over $900 in a year — and that’s before it compounds and earns money in the market.
Sign up with Acorns within minutes and get a $20 bonus investment.
Put your cash to work
You probably hold some amount of cash to cover your monthly expenses or in your emergency fund. Financial planners typically suggest keeping three to six months’ worth of monthly expenses in the fund.
Instead of hoarding the money in a traditional savings account, consider opening a high-yield account and let your cash work harder for you.
For example, Wealthfront’s high-yield cash account offers 4.00% APY on deposits — roughly 10 times the national average of 0.41% as of April 25.
The best part? You don’t have to pay any account fees and can enjoy 24/7 withdrawals. If you register for direct deposit, you can get your paycheck up to 2 days early and start earning interest. Assuming you get paid bi-weekly, that’s a 14% boost on interest you could earn from your paycheck.
Get started with just $1.
If you want to browse further or compare your options, check out Moneywise’s high-yield savings accounts of 2025 list.
Read more: Car insurance premiums could spike 8% by the end of 2025 — thanks to tariffs on car imports and auto parts from Canada and Mexico. But here’s how 2 minutes can save you hundreds of dollars right now
Know where your money is going
Tracking your spending is key to building a healthy relationship with money. Once you know how much money is coming in and how much you’re spending, you can set up goals for yourself for financial freedom.
Monarch Money helps you track all your accounts in one place — helping you know where your money is going at all times. You can get custom reminders for upcoming bill payments, ensuring you never miss a payment.
You can also track how your net worth is growing over time by linking your investment accounts and real estate. What’s more, Monarch Money’s Advice Wizard Tool provides personalized recommendations on how to achieve your financial goals faster.
You can get a 7-day free trial as well as 30% off your subscription for the first year when you sign up with Monarch Money.
Invest in your future
Tariff-driven uncertainty has stoked inflation fears as well as increased the odds of a potential recession.
But opting for relatively safer assets like real estate can somewhat hedge your portfolio from market risks. Plus, you can generate a passive income source by investing in rental properties, helping you boost your income.
Even better, you don’t need to take out a new mortgage in order to be a landlord.
Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos and Marc Benioff, Arrived lets you invest in single-family residential properties and vacation rentals across the country.
Arrived handles all the paperwork and management throughout the lifecycle of the investment, allowing you to sit back and become a landlord without having to deal with any hassles. Plus, Arrived distributes any rental income from properties as monthly dividend checks, helping you set up a passive income source from the comfort of your home.
Arrived’s total returns range from 6%-10% annually. In comparison, the S&P 500 index’s annualized returns of just over 10.13% since 1957. But, with Arrived, you also get the added benefit of diversification, real estate can act as a hedge against stock market volatility.
Get started and become a landlord with just $100 here.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
