Having a famous face or popular figurehead be amongst the most famous participants in wagering with established gambling companies is often considered to be a commendable marketing tool that most firms will utilize to the fullest.
Bringing a swagger of familiarity and recognizable nature to a gambling companies various means of advertising or commercial campaigns by way of a celebrity name or athlete is great method to interact and appeal to their preferred clientele.
There is now an increasing number of famous athletes and celebrities that have become the face of various gambling companies and even acting as ambassadors.
Here are the most notable names that are associated with the various US based sportsbooks and casino companies:
Michael Jordan – DraftKings:
Many sports fans will recognize Michael Jordan as a player that would spend a large portion of his time playing golf, smoking cigars, drinking alcohol or gambling whilst still dropping thirty plus points on a nightly basis and remaining as arguably the greatest basketball player of all-time as well as one of the most incredible athletes that the world has ever witnessed.
Jordan is one of the world’s richest and most recognizable names and has since taken up an ambassador role alongside the renowned US based sports betting company DraftKings with the ‘GOAT’ being a main focal point of the companies many crucial advisors.
The current owner of the NBA Franchise Charlotte Hornets and the founder of famous ‘Air Jordans’ fashion brand is now acting as a special advisor for the DraftKings board since September of 2020 from which he has now agreed to take an equity interest in the popular sportsbook, with sports betting being amongst the six time NBA Champions many favorited leisure’s after his retirement from basketball back in 2003.
Neymar Jr. – PokerStars:
The vastly talented and awe-inspiring Brazilian soccer sensation that is Neymar Jr. is one of the world’s most highly coveted athletes and has since showcased his passion for the popular casino game of poker with his collaboration with PokerStars.
Neymar has appearing various commercials promoting the popular poker site and is also one of the more recognizable and frequent celebrity poker players as he has competed in various tournaments including Winter Series during his recent absence from an ankle injury he sustained in November.
While the PSG and Brazilian winger may not be widely recognized as one of the better poker players, he is still a fond lover of the game and continues to act as a major draw for PokerStars during their commercial endeavors.
Conor McGregor – Parimatch:
The former two division UFC World Champion and current whisky enthusiast Conor McGregor has most certainly become a major draw for brands whilst competing in the Octagon as well as whenever he is outside the cage walls, whether that be his legendary trash talking at pressers or his continuous entrepreneurial expertise.
McGregor is a known whisky drinker which is very much apparent in his launch of his vastly popular whisky brand ‘Proper Twelve’, yet the former Lightweight champion is also a proud ambassador of the Cyprian sportsbook Parimatch which includes his collaboration and appearance in the gambling companies numerous commercials.
Parimatch has become more recognizable to worldwide sports fans over the past few years, and it may be in large part due to the impact that the ‘Notorious’ McGregor has brought to their advertising and marketing forms of media.
Drake – Stake:
Out of all the popular names on the list, there may be no celebrity who enjoys betting more than the immensely popular rapper Drake who has often showcased his various bets for any upcoming mainstream sporting event that ranks from the NBA to the UFC amongst so many others.
Drake’s most prominent partnership in betting comes with the Curaçao corporation Stake who have become a major target for numerous high-profile sponsorships since their establishment back in 2017, including deals with reigning UFC champion Isreal Adesanya and shirt sponsorships with Premier League side Everton and Championship side Watford amongst many other high profile clients.
Drake has expressed his love to place wagers at a hefty sum and given his notoriety as one of the most famous faces of the music industry, who can blame him for wanting to wager it one some of the biggest sporting events around whilst also signing on for an ambassador role at one of the world’s most highly grossing sportsbooks.
Other notable names in betting circuit include fellow rapper Nicki Minaj who has an ambassador role with MaximBet, former world champion boxer Mike Tyson also acts as an ambassador to Parimatch much like Conor McGregor and finally popular personality and model Paris Hilton has also become further involved in the promotion of various online casino games since 2016.
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