iGaming Brands Keep Betting on Celebrities Like Matthew Broderick and Snooki. But Do These Deals Actually Pay Off?
Posted on: June 11, 2026, 09:24h.
Last updated on: June 11, 2026, 10:03h.
- Matthew Broderick is anchoring Hard Rock Bet’s new summer campaign, tapping into 80s nostalgia to pitch an “inner rebel” escape
- Recent consumer data reveals a sharp divide, showing that celebrity spots rarely move the needle on a gambling brand’s trustworthiness or authenticity
This week, Hard Rock Bet placed a massive double-down on star power, rolling out new marketing campaigns featuring Hollywood icon Matthew Broderick and reality TV staple Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi.
It’s a familiar playbook for the iGaming industry—but as recent data questions whether celebrities actually move the needle on brand trust, these massive marketing bets are looking less certain than ever.
Hard Rock Bet has tapped Broderick, the star of the iconic 80’s movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, to star in its summer marketing campaign. Titled a “Very Adult Son,” the 30-second commercial centers around a mother whose adult son moves back home.
As you get older, life has a way of becoming very responsible. Schedules, routines, all the things you’re supposed to do. This campaign reminds you it’s still okay to break from that once in a while. To surprise yourself a little. Have some fun. Let that inner rebel out for a change,” Broderick said.
The “Very Adult Son” commercial will span both Hard Rock Bet’s sports betting and online casino verticals across television, radio, digital, and social media.
Hard Rock Bet is also the new presenting sponsor of the podcast It’s Happening with Snooki & Joey.
Are Celebrities Trustworthy?
Online casinos and sportsbooks have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to have prominent celebrities and athletes market their operations.
BetMGM ambassadors include Jon Hamm, Derek Jeter, and Wayne Gretzky. DraftKings has LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Steve Aoki, John Stamos, and Shaq. FanDuel pays Rob Gronkowski, Charles Barkley, and Jennifer Coolidge. Fanatics has Kendall Jenner, while Caesars Sportsbook uses JB Smoove, Lisa Vanderpump, and Gordon Ramsay.
New research suggests the use of celebrities might not be the best strategy in building brand trust.
According to 5WPR Research’s Gaming Trust Index, iGaming and sportsbook brands spent $520 million on celebrity and athlete partnerships last year. In terms of building brand credibility, 5WPR finds that celebrity partnerships do little to improve the public’s perception of an online casino or sportsbook.
5WPR says the better bet is for gaming platforms to spend their marketing money on earned media and public relations.
Celebrity and athlete ambassador programs account for $520 million in annual industry spend, more than five times the combined investment in earned media and responsible gambling communications, the two channels with the highest documented brand credibility return in the analysis,” the 5WPR report said.
“The trust return on this investment is measurable but modest. Celebrity association increases brand awareness by an average of 23 percentage points among consumers who recognize the celebrity but increases trust by only 4 points. The gap exists because celebrity endorsement communicates awareness, not credibility. Trust is earned through demonstrated responsible practices, transparency, and consistent product delivery, none of which celebrity partnerships directly address,” 5WPR concluded.
Online Gaming Boom
Americans are gambling online at unprecedented rates.
First quarter iGaming gross gaming revenue (GGR), or the amount of bets lost, totaled more than $3 billion. The number includes online casino revenue in the seven states where iGaming is legal and operational. The GGR figure does not include money from offshore casino websites or prediction markets.
Legal sports betting revenue in Q1 climbed to $4.27 billion, with most of the money coming online.
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