Football focus

DraftKings has secured the services of Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James as brand ambassador with a focus on football. James, one of the world’s highest profile active athletes, took to X Wednesday to share news of the partnership:

According to a DraftKings press release, the NBA megastar will share his football picks and “select key tentpole events as part of a multi-year agreement.” A sports betting deal seemed inevitable for James, who has often appeared on Instagram Live breaking down action during this NFL season.

an absolute honor and privilege”

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins stated it was “an absolute honor and privilege” to have LeBron join the Boston-based firm, adding that he will deliver “exciting engagement opportunities to our customers and his loyal fanbase for years to come.”

Major coup

DraftKings has pulled off a major coup in landing James, who boasts 235.6 million followers across “all social media platforms in aggregate, per Basketball Network.”

While James’ partnership with a sportsbook has raised the eyebrows of some industry insiders, the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement does not prevent the four-time MVP from making some cash directly through a firm like DraftKings, provided, of course, James doesn’t bet on or analyze games from the NBA or WNBA.

DraftKings will no doubt hope the James deal provides a pull in the NBA and NFL markets, vital in its ongoing marketing battle with FanDuel. In August, research firm Eilers & Krejcik Gaming revealed DraftKings had overtaken FanDuel as market leader for US online gambling, securing 31% of overall gross gaming revenue compared to FanDuel’s 30%.

Controversial deals

There are many athletes who have partnered with sportsbooks, such as NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett, NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, and NFL icon Tom Brady. Unlike James, they’ve typically retired from their sports before inking the deals.

critics claim they glamourize gambling to vulnerable people

While many sports fans enjoy the fruits of these deals, critics claim they glamourize gambling to vulnerable people. Over in the much more mature UK market, legislators have banned celebrities from appearing in gambling ads altogether. The regulator of Ontario, Canada is enacting a similar rule in February.

To make matters worse, a Tom Brady ad for BetMGM was in the firing line over the weekend when Circa Sports executive Jeffrey Benson called out the Super Bowl commercial. Benson took exception to the ad in which Brady isn’t allowed to place a bet, with actor Vince Vaughn telling him: “you’ve won enough.”