Ludacris spent $28,000 on a playground for his kids after a big win at a Las Vegas casino.

The 38-year-old father-of-four, is heading to Nevada to host Sunday's (22May16) Billboard Music Awards alongside R&B star Ciara, and he recalled how he spent his landmark 30th birthday in Sin City.

"My best experience in Vegas, on my 30th birthday I was on the blackjack table," he tells late night host Jimmy Kimmel. "I cannot kid you I won $30,000. On my 30th birthday."

The hip hop star managed to avoid the temptation to stay at the card table searching for an even bigger win and instead decided to treat his kids.

"I walked away with the $30,000, you'll never believe what I spent the majority of the money on - a playground for my kids at home," he adds. "I didn't even spend it on me, and it came to about $28,000. But this is not your average ordinary everyday playground, this playground is out of this world."

However, rapper and actor Ludacris was not entirely virtuous in his use of his gambling windfall, as he reveals, "The other $2,000 is what you need to know what I spent that on - it went to the strippers."

Ciara, who was also appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday (19May16), revealed she had a rather different experience of Vegas to Ludacris as she likes scouting the city's entertainments for staging ideas.

"My Vegas experience is probably much different to his," she explains. "I do enjoy Vegas, I go to a lot of the shows to study and get inspired for all my performances and stuff like that."

The Billboard Music Awards air from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the ABC network on Sunday (22May16).