Snoop Dogg gifted an Italian family five tickets to a marquee event at the Winter Olympics after his credit card failed while ordering takeout in northern Italy, according to reports from NBC and Reuters.
The 54-year-old performer is in Italy serving as an on-air correspondent for NBC and as an honorary coach for Team USA. During a stop at Cronox in the Alpine town of Livigno, he ordered a cheeseburger, chicken wings, chicken nuggets, and french fries for takeout, according to the restaurant owner’s daughter, Sofia Valmadre.
When the payment failed to go through, the restaurant’s owners told him not to worry and allowed him to take the food. The following day, the musician sent the family five tickets to the men’s snowboard halfpipe final as a thank-you for their kindness.
“He sent his staff to take it and pay, but they couldn’t pay. I don’t know why, it wasn’t going,” Valadre said. “So my mother told him that it was okay [to take the food] without paying. Today, he sent us five tickets to see the final.”
After Snoop Dogg’s credit card didn’t go through on a takeout order in Livigno during the Winter Olympics, he paid the next day and gifted the restaurant owners five tickets to the men’s snowboard halfpipe final. pic.twitter.com/nS4H99M2ox
— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) February 15, 2026
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The gesture came as Snoop Dogg has kept a high profile throughout the Winter Olympics, making frequent appearances in broadcast coverage and across multiple venues while engaging with athletes and fans.
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Beyond the restaurant incident, Snoop Dogg has remained a visible presence at events featuring competitors such as Ilia Malinin and Jordan Stolz. He was also in the stands when Lindsey Vonn crashed during her event on February 8, while snowboarding legend Shaun White later gave him a lesson on the slopes.
He also tried his hand at bobsledding and curling and even rode down a hill on a plastic trash can as part of televised segments tied to Olympic coverage.
Reflecting on the experience during an appearance on the Today program, he said, “That was my first time ever doing something like that on ice, and I was courageous enough to try it. And let me tell you, I’d do it again and again and again. I had fun. That was super fun. I would never do bobsledding again. That’s just not me. I look good in there, but I’m not going down that hill. I had a good time.”
The rapper also crossed paths with actor Stanley Tucci at a bar during the Games. Speaking on the same broadcast about his broader role, he said, “I am the love vessel right now, and I love that I am the peace messenger. That’s what the Olympics is about. It’s about bringing the world together to celebrate sports and unity, and I’m glad to be at the forefront of it all, because this is what I love doing. I love putting smiles on people’s faces.”
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His appearances across venues and broadcasts coincide with NBC’s coverage of the Games and Team USA’s designation of him as the delegation’s first honorary coach, placing him among the most visible celebrity figures present during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
