How Celebrity Casino Endorsements Work
The gambling industry has long been a playground for marketing ingenuity, but the recent explosion of celebrity casino endorsements has taken it to a new echelon. Online casinos and casino apps on mobile phones are now being endorsed by many of the biggest names in entertainment and sports.
Explaining celebrity casino endorsements. Image created by Dan Holmes, Boone Digital
Can a movie or television star get you to download a casino app? Can a former athlete persuade you to buy some chips to play online poker? Can your favorite model or actress sweet-talk you into making a deposit to fund your slot machine play? That’s the purpose of high stakes celebrity endorsements for mobile betting apps.
High-profile names now lend their star power to casinos and gambling apps, turning mobile betting into a glossy, star-studded spectacle. Whether it’s Jamie Foxx BetMGM campaigns dripping with suave sophistication or Kevin Hart DraftKings commercials infusing humor into the high-stakes world of online gaming, celebrities are making sure the house always wins.
When seeking the best live online casinos, a celebrity probably won’t make you choose where to wager your money. But the trust you feel for a famous face may make you feel an affinity.
Celebrity Influence in Gambling
There’s a reason why big brands have always cozied up to A-listers—people trust familiar faces. Whether it’s sneakers, cologne, or casino apps, a recognizable endorser makes a product feel like a VIP pass to an elite experience.
Celebrity casino endorsements are no different, using the magnetic allure of actors, athletes, and comedians to lure in gamblers who want to bet like their heroes.
Trust in familiar faces? Well, when the face is handsome or beautiful, it helps, right? The familiarity from the television shows, social media channels, and movies we love are perfectly suited to making us part with our money in our wallet.
Dating back to the building of Las Vegas into a gambling mecca and tourist attraction: the casinos used legendary entertainers to attract customers. Famous crooner Frank Sinatra and his pals like Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. headlined casinos in the famed Las Vegas Strip as far back as the 1950s.
In the 1970s, former baseball sluggers Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle earned salaries by shaking hands and welcoming visitors to casinos in the same city. Even today, when customers are keen to play slots online, the history of endorsements hangs over the market and branding philosophies.
But beyond sheer appeal, these partnerships bring a sense of credibility. The subtext is clear: If a Hollywood star or a sports legend is on board, this must be a legitimate and entertaining way to play. Ben Affleck WynnBET campaigns lean into his well-documented love for high-stakes poker, painting him as a sharp, strategic player who knows where to put his chips.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s involvement in PokerStars games showcases the soccer icon’s image of precision and skill, subtly suggesting that strategic thinking applies both on the field and at the virtual felt. PokerStars offers poker games and other casino table games in several states and countries.
In recent years, there has been a large increase in casino advertisements during the Super Bowl, the most watched sporting event in North America. Companies like BetMGM and DraftKings will think nothing of spending millions for a 30-second spot tucked into the first or second half of the NFL’s biggest production. Often, these commercials are the talk of the water cooler the next few days, as the creativity of marketing agencies draws viewers in.
In 2024, an ad for BetMGM included former quarterback Tom Brady, actor and comedian Vince Vaughn, and former Saturday Night Live writer and actress Paula Pell. The ad was selected as one of the best for creativity for that Super Bowl.
The confluence of athletes like Brady, and others such as Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, along with Hollywood names like Kevin Hart, Affleck, and others, is a powerful message aimed at sports fans who may want to wager on a game or play online casino games.
The Expanding Casino App Universe—And Its Critics
Of course, not everyone is enamored with this confluence of stardom and wagering. As casino apps proliferate at a breakneck pace, so do concerns about accessibility. The frictionless ease of mobile betting, combined with A-list promotions, has some critics sounding alarm bells about problem gambling and addiction. Unlike a physical casino, which requires a trip across town, a smartphone in your pocket means the house is always open.
Kevin Hart’s DraftKings ads may be riotous fun, but they also underscore the larger issue—gambling is no longer an activity that requires intentional planning. It’s an impulse away, wrapped in sleek marketing and celebrity charm. And while many casino apps provide responsible gaming tools, skeptics argue that a 30-second clip of a megastar cracking jokes about betting overshadows fine-print warnings about risk.
Star Power: The Double-Edged Sword of Casino Marketing
Jamie Foxx’s BetMGM ads evoke a Bond-esque elegance, reinforcing the idea that gambling, when done correctly, is a high-class endeavor. Affleck’s connection to WynnBET is rooted in authenticity.
He’s been spotted at countless poker tables, making his endorsement feel more like an insider tip than a forced sponsorship. Even Cristiano Ronaldo’s PokerStars affiliation isn’t just about getting people to play; it’s about framing online poker as a game of skill, a domain where intellect trumps luck.
The irony, of course, is that while these celebrity campaigns portray gambling as a lifestyle of calculated risk and strategy, the reality for many is different. While the stars may be millionaires placing bets with disposable income, everyday players are more vulnerable to financial pitfalls.
The aspirational glow of these campaigns may make gambling look like an avenue to riches rather than what it statistically is—a form of entertainment where the odds favor the house.
What’s Next for Celebrity Casino Endorsements?
The intersection of Hollywood, sports, and gambling isn’t fading anytime soon. With more states legalizing mobile betting, the landscape is still in its Wild West phase, where innovation and aggressive marketing reign supreme. As regulations evolve, we may see shifts in how celebrities engage with these brands.
Responsible gaming messaging might become more prominent, or endorsements may move beyond traditional ads and into immersive content, like Twitch streams and interactive fan experiences.
One thing’s for sure—celebrity casino endorsements are a winning hand for gambling companies. Whether it’s Jamie Foxx suavely promoting BetMGM, Kevin Hart bringing laughs to DraftKings, Cristiano Ronaldo aligning with PokerStars, or Ben Affleck giving WynnBET an air of legitimacy, these star-studded alliances are reshaping the way we view and engage with gambling.
But as with any high-stakes game, the question remains—who truly benefits in the long run?
