Ben Affleck just proved that even Oscar winners deal with surprisingly relatable parenting moments — like your teenager casually asking for cash to place a sports bet.
During his Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance on Jan. 5, the “Batman” star gets candid about his 13-year-old son, Samuel, testing his luck in the world of sports betting. Apparently, it’s a topic that hits especially close to home for Affleck.
“My son asked me like a month ago, [he] was like, ‘Hey, um, can I get like 100 bucks to bet on sports?'” Affleck recalled. “It’s like, what? [He’s like,] ‘My friends get $100, but if they lose it, then that’s it.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s a real standard, what discipline! Like, so that you don’t come twitching back going, ‘I know that Green Bay is going to cover the over in the second half.'”
The moment sparked a deeper conversation, as Affleck revealed that sports betting has long been part of his family history. The actor, who shares Violet, 20, Seraphina, 17, and Samuel with ex-wife Jennifer Garner, explained that his father once worked as a small-time bookie while holding a day job at a bar.
“My father worked at a bar but mostly made his money sort of being a small-time bookie,” Affleck said, recalling how Patriots losses once paid for the family’s first VCR. “At the time it was, like, shameful and kind of illegal. I mean, the statute of limitations has run out. Sorry, Dad.”
Kimmel was quick to jump in, pointing out, “It wasn’t kind of illegal back then, it was flat-out illegal.” Affleck agreed, but laughed it off, before noting that Boston fans still never learn. “We will bet on the home team, and they never beat the spread, and the bookies made a lot of money. I think these were like $10, $20 bets.”
And as for that VCR? For Affleck, it was one of the “coolest things” he owned growing up, especially when it came to taping live shows like “Magnum,” “P.I.,” “Simon & Simon,” and even his own early commercials.
