Study: Celebrity Endorsements Not Always a Good Bet for Gambling Brands
Posted on: January 22, 2026, 09:51h.
Last updated on: January 22, 2026, 10:19h.
- Sports stars and professional gamblers are most appropriate to promote online gambling brands, a new study finds
- Reality television stars and actors are less effective at promoting gambling
Gambling is more widespread and accepted than ever before. With the competition for customers crowded, brands have spent many millions of dollars on celebrity endorsements to promote their businesses in recent years.
A new study suggests the bets on celebrity endorsements might not be winning hands. YouGov, a UK-based market research and data analytics firm, recently asked gamblers and nongamblers aged 21 and older in the United States about how celebrities impact their perception of gambling brands.
Among the gambling population, more than four in 10 (42%) said seeing a celebrity in a gambling advertisement led to them viewing the company more positively. Fourteen percent said such a celebrity-involved promotion makes them view the brand “very positively.”
However, just under half of all gamblers (46%) said a celebrity endorsement for a gambling brand also makes it appear “less authentic.” And 38% of all Americans agreed that using celebrities “makes the brand appear less authentic or overly promotional.”
Celebrity’s Brand is Key
The YouGov team concluded that it’s imperative that casino and gaming brands only contract relevant celebrities to market their operations. The study found that professional athletes (41%) and gambling professionals (41%), like poker wiz Daniel Negreanu, are most appropriate for gambling ads.
Celebrities that gamblers and the public don’t resonate with in gambling ads include reality television stars, actors, and comedians.
Celebrity endorsements may help gambling brands stand out, especially with active gamblers, but they may not guarantee a shift in brand perception or behavior. Brands should focus on aligning with the right kind of celebrity, preferably those with a direct link to sports or gambling, to keep messaging credible and effective,” the YouGov report concluded.
Celebrities can help drive gambling traffic, as 42% of gamblers said they’re more likely to consider a gambling operation that’s backed by a famous person. However, about half of the general public said a celebrity promoting gambling isn’t likely to bring them on board.
Gaming Celebrity Partnerships
While Pat McAfee, Charles Barkley, and Rob Gronkowski promoting FanDuel, and LeBron James shilling DraftKings makes sense for sports betting, the online gaming leaders have also used rather peculiar celebrities to hype their platforms.
John Stamos took some heat for hyping DraftKings Casino in 2022 after the “Full House” star tried to convince the public to test their luck at their own “full house” by gambling online.
Bravo stars Andy Cohen, Bethenny Frankel, and Melissa Gorga have also promoted DraftKings. Actors Vince Vaughn and JB Smoove have worked for Caesars, while Jamie Foxx has long been a spokesperson for BetMGM.
Controversial sweepstakes casinos have also contracted celebrities. Paris Hilton has marketed WOW Vegas, Snoop Dogg has his own sweepstakes website called the Dogg House Casino, Ryan Seacrest has advertised Chumba Casino, Michael Phelps has aligned with Global Poker, and Drake has been a long proponent of Stake.
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