The surge in sports betting legalization over the last few years has not only been good for state tax revenue, but also for celebrities and former athletes looking to cash in with ambassador and marketing deals. From Kevin Hart to Jamie Foxx to Wayne Gretzky, numerous celebrities are now appearing in sportsbook advertising to bring in customers looking for some parlay or betting line wagering.
The NBA’s all-time scoring leader is the latest after Lebron James recently signe a multi-year deal with DraftKings. The deal includes the NBA legend making weekly NFL picks, but not discussing any gambling in relation to basketball per league rules.
“LeBron will help support key football initiatives and tentpole events through content creation, such as weekly football picks and more,” DraftKings officials noted.
James will help market the brand to his more than 52 million Twitter and 160 million on Instagram followers. He previously made his own football selections on social media and those efforts now fall under the DraftKings umbrella.
“Football season just got A LOT more fun,” he noted on Twitter.
Just a few years ago, U.S. sports leagues steered clear of anything related to sports betting. However, that changed when the Supreme Court overturned the virtual ban on sports betting outside the state of Nevada. Over the last few years, numerous states have legalized betting and the leagues have begun embracing the industry.
All major leagues and many individual teams now have official casino and sports betting partners. Las Vegas also now has NFL and NHL teams, and MLB’s Oakland A’s are also moving to Sin City. Sunday’s Super Bowl was even played in Las Vegas for the first time.
DraftKings may have another major deal in the works, with many in the industry that a partnership with Barstool Sports should be announced soon.
