Celebrities and Athletes That Have Endorsed Online Casinos, Sportsbooks
By Drew Ellis
Published:
Any good business wants to land a celebrity endorsement to help push its product.
The online gambling world has been no different, as top online casinos and top online sportsbooks have done their part to bring in actors, musicians, athletes, and even influencers to help promote their brand.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest names in entertainment that have attached themselves to some form of US online gambling platform.
Why Online Casinos, Sportsbooks Partner with Celebrities
It isn’t just online gambling that wants to get celebrity endorsements, all businesses do.
Landing a high-profile celebrity or athlete is almost like getting additional free promotion.
The public want to be in on the popular trends, so seeing their favorite actor, actress, musician, or athlete promoting something creates an urge for their fans to want to be in on it as well.
It’s brand exposure that you can’t really put a price on, as it brings in a new audience and new business for an industry that continues to see signs of growth.
Actors/Actresses/Musicians that Endorse Online Casinos
Online casinos, including West Virginia online casino brands, haven’t been shy about bringing in recognizable faces to appear on the big screen or tv screens regularly.
That includes:
- Ben Affleck: WynnBet
- Drake: Stake
- Jamie Foxx: BetMGM
- Jon Hamm: BetMGM
- Neil Patrick Harris: Golden Nugget
- Kevin Hart: DraftKings
- Ariana Madix (Love Island Host): FanDuel
- Aaron Paul: bet365
Athletes that Have Endorsed Online Gambling
Athletes and online gambling, particularly online sportsbooks, make for a natural partnership.
Many legal online sportsbooks have opted to attached either an active or retired athlete to their product.
Going beyond just sportsbooks, we have seen athletes recently tied to prediction markets, as well as sweepstakes casinos.
Here’s just a handful of the well-known athletes that have promoted or been spokespersons for an online casino, online sportsbook, social casino, or prediction market.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: Kalshi (shareholder)
- Charles Barkley: FanDuel
- Jerome Bettis: BetRivers
- Tom Brady: BetMGM
- Bryson DeChambeau: DraftKings
- Kevin Garnett: BetMGM
- Wayne Gretzky: BetMGM
- Rob Gronkowski: FanDuel
- Tony Hawk: DraftKings
- Phil Hellmuth (poker star): BetRivers
- Tim Howard: BetMGM
- Derek Jeter: BetMGM
- Marshawn Lynch: BetMGM
- Eli Manning: Caesars
- Peyton Manning: Caesars
- Drew McIntyre (WWE): Chumba Casino
- Herman Moore: Eagle Casino & Sports (Local MI online casino)
- Shaquille O’Neal: DraftKings
- Barry Sanders: BetMGM
- Tiffany Stratton (WWE): Chumba Casino
- Jerry Rice: DraftKings
Influencers also big in Online Gambling Promotion
One newer area of celebrity that is getting in on the online gambling promotion are “influencers.”
These are people that aren’t particularly known for being skilled actors, musicians, or athletes, but have large followings on social media.
Their popularity is attractive to businesses as their name will be spread to millions of people on a regular basis.
Three in particular have had a real impact in the gambling industry.
- Paris Hilton: WOW Vegas
- Kendall Jenner: Fanatics
- Vegas Matt: FanDuel
In the case of Vegas Matt, his YouTube videos of himself playing slot games ultimately got him a partnership with FanDuel, and even his own name-branded slot game on the platform.
Drew Ellis has experience covering the gambling industries in North America and around the world. Decades of media experience provide him with the background to handle the complexities of different gambling laws and policies around the United States and North America. Ellis has primarily focused on online and retail casino news since 2021. Prior to working in the gambling industry, Ellis spent over 20 years in the newspaper industry, covering sports and the gambling. His work for The Mt. Pleasant Morning Sun and The Oakland Press was recognized with awards by the Associated Press and other media organizations. Drew has also contributed to the Detroit Free Press and the Associated Press.
