Comedian Bill Maher targets America’s gambling culture during ‘Real Time’
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
“Real Time” host Bill Maher lamented the rise of gambling during his HBO show Friday, telling viewers that in America, people are still in control of their own destinies.
“So I have to ask, is this what we’re doing now instead of having a real economy? I get it. Too many people think it’s impossible to even break into the middle class. Forget fantasy football. Owning a home — that’s the real fantasy.” he said.
Maher said during the monologue that gambling is mostly played by young men.
“Half of millennials own a home,” the comedian continued. “And it’s really young guys who do most of the gambling, and I tell them: Why don’t you let life kick you before you give up on it?”
Bill Maher will appear on “Real Time” on September 26, 2025. (Screenshot/HBO)
BILL MAHER SAYS STATES SHOULD TELL CELEBRITIES TO ‘SHUT UP’, HOLLYWOOD STOPS THE PARTY
The comedian said gambling allows people to stop believing they can control their own destiny.
“I’m sure doing scratch cards at the gas station in the afternoon is a great way to signal to women, ‘I’m not marriage material,’ but it’s not a retirement plan. Gambling isn’t bad just because you lose out on rent; it’s bad because it allows you to stop believing that you control your destiny,” he added.
“But this is still America and you still are,” Maher said.
“We’re ‘we don’t accept fate, we make it happen’ people, not ‘we stay up all night to get lucky’ people,” Maher said.
Finneas and Billie Eilish at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards held at Crypto.com Arena on February 1, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Christopher Polk/Billboard via Getty Images)
AMERICAN TRIBE Responds to BILLIE EILISH’S ‘STOLEN LAND’ Grammy Comments
Maher also targeted singer Billie Eilish for comments she made about “stolen land” during her Grammy acceptance speech.
Eilish won the Song of the Year award. He condemned ICE in his acceptance speech. The 24-year-old actor went viral with the words “No one is illegal in stolen lands.”
“You don’t know the facts,” Maher said of the singer.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE NEWS ON MEDIA AND CULTURE
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Maher broke down the transcript of Eilish’s speech, which begins with her saying, “It’s hard to know what to say.”
“Then don’t say anything because you don’t know some things,” he accused. “I guess you didn’t go to school and don’t know the facts.”
