Kalshi‘s new sponsorship deal with UFC star Nate Diaz got us thinking about high-profile athletes who endorse gambling companies.
Our list includes some of the biggest names in professional sports, both active and retired, who have reached the pinnacle of their respective profession.
One caveat: This list only features athletes in North America.
LeBron James & DraftKings Sportsbook
Deal started: January 2024
LeBron James has won four NBA titles and scored more points (43,440) than any other player in league history. This multi-year deal with DraftKings was carefully crafted, with James focusing on weekly football picks. Any NBA content was clearly verboten.
Commercials starring James and comedian Kevin Hart became ubiquitous on TV and online. For our money, this is the duo’s funniest spot.
DraftKings has utilized “The King” well, and this partnership tops our list.
Rob Gronkowski & FanDuel
Deal started: January 2022
Who can forget Rob Gronkowski’s “Kick of Destiny” Super Bowl campaigns in 2023 and 2024? Spoiler: If you don’t remember, Gronk missed both kicks!
This was a savvy promotion for FanDuel, which allowed users to vote “Yes” or “No” on whether Gronkowski would make the kick with $10 million in Bonus Bets on the line. “No” voters split that handsome sum.
More recently, FanDuel Casino debuted a Gronk-inspired online slot game prior to Super Bowl 60 in February: All Gronk, All Gold.
Despite his struggles with kicking, Gronkowski has helped elevate the FanDuel brand as a high-profile ambassador.
Giannis Antetokounmpo & Kalshi
Deal started: February 2026
This one caused a bit of a stir amid the NBA’s betting scandals. NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo took an ownership stake in Kalshi through his company, Ante Inc.
Antetokounmpo will appear in commercials and at live events for Kalshi. NBA players can have a passive stake of less than 1% in gambling-related entities. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver explained why the deal was kosher.
“We have a rule that was collectively bargained with the Players Association that players can make, I will call them, de minimis investments in sports betting companies, and we’re applying the same rule to prediction markets,” Silver explained.
He added, “In the case of Giannis, from what I understand, it’s a minuscule investment. Much smaller than 1%, so that does not violate the rules.”
Wayne Gretzky & BetMGM
Deal started: June 2021
Like LeBron, Wayne Gretzky won four Stanley Cups and amassed more points (2,857) than anyone in the history of the game. Like Gronkowski, Gretzky has his own online slot game at BetMGM.
Gretzky has appeared in multiple ads for “The King of Sportsbooks” in the past few years, including one with current Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid.
Notably, Gretzky also appeared in BetMGM’s Super Bowl ad with Tom Brady and actor Vince Vaughn two years ago.
We would have included Brady in our list, but he no longer has a deal with BetMGM after becoming a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. The NFL prohibits its personnel from promoting any type of gambling, including sports betting.
BetMGM and Gretzky didn’t fare well in a January study. Researchers at Towson University and the Notre Dame of Maryland University analyzed YouTube comments on gambling commercials.
Comedian Jamie Foxx generated the majority of criticism for BetMGM, but Gretzky received four negative comments for every positive one. Commenters said it was a “bad look for someone who used to stand for integrity in sports” to promote betting on them.
That criticism aside, the longevity of this deal between BetMGM and “The Great One” is standing the test of time.
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