Ben Affleck shared a candid—and surprisingly relatable—parenting moment during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, revealing that his youngest son, Samuel, has already developed an interest in sports betting.

According to Affleck, the conversation caught him a bit off guard.

“My son asked me like a month ago,” Affleck told Kimmel, “‘Hey, um, can I get like 100 bucks to bet on sports?’”

A Sign of the Times

Samuel, who turns 14 in February, has grown up around sports, regularly attending NBA and MLB games with his father. That exposure, Affleck suggested, may have naturally evolved into curiosity about wagering—especially in an era where betting odds and advertisements are baked into nearly every sports broadcast.

Affleck added that his son explained betting was already common among kids his age.

“He’s like, ‘My friends get $100, but if they lose it, then that’s it,’” Affleck recalled.
“I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s a real standard—what discipline!’ So you don’t come twitching back saying, ‘I know Green Bay’s going to cover the over in the second half.’”

The exchange drew laughs from the audience, but it also highlighted how normalized sports betting has become for younger generations.

Gambling Runs in the Family

Affleck also noted that an interest in betting isn’t exactly new in his family. His father worked at a bar while quietly running a side hustle as a bookmaker.

“I remember our first washing machine, our first VCR,” Affleck said. “Dad came home like, ‘You can thank Steve Grogan for this’—the Patriots quarterback. Everybody kept betting the Patriots to beat the spread.”

Affleck joked that he was ultimately grateful the Patriots weren’t very good at the time.
“Just thank Steve Grogan’s knees for our VCR,” he quipped.

Affleck’s Own Gambling History

The actor himself is no stranger to gambling headlines. Known as one of Hollywood’s most serious poker players, Affleck has logged notable wins over the years, including a California State Poker Championship victory in 2004 for $356,400. In 2019, he also picked up a four-figure score during a short, high-stakes session at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles.

However, his gambling résumé isn’t without controversy. In 2014, Affleck was famously banned from the Hard Rock Casino after being accused of counting cards at the blackjack table.

Rising Concerns About Sports Betting

Affleck’s story comes amid growing criticism of legalized sports gambling. Financial expert and radio host Dave Ramsey recently sounded the alarm, warning that online sports betting is fueling addiction among young men.

“The fastest-growing addiction destroying young men in their 20s is online sports gambling,” Ramsey said. “FanDuel is a portal to hell. DraftKings isn’t king of anything except their pocketbook.”

Ramsey argued that the industry’s massive advertising budgets are funded directly by bettors’ losses and warned that gambling often leads to debt—a core issue he urges listeners to avoid at all costs.

Similar concerns have also been echoed by Pope Leo XIV, who recently cautioned against the dangers of gambling addiction.

A Widespread and Growing Industry

Sports betting is now legal in 39 U.S. states, with prediction markets—often resembling traditional wagering—available in many of the remaining states. As legalization spreads and visibility increases, stories like Affleck’s underscore a broader reality: interest in betting is reaching people at younger and younger ages.

What may have once been an adults-only conversation is now something even parents like Ben Affleck are navigating—often with a mix of humor, concern, and disbelief.