Sports stars and gambling companies are clearly a match made in heaven. Over the years there have been several sports stars that have been sponsored by gambling brands, and the collaborations have almost always been successful. The fact that these stars draw attention wherever they go and fans watch their every move make them the ideal ambassadors for casinos and sportsbooks.
Take a look at the sports stars that got behind some of the biggest gambling brands ever:
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt is not only the fastest man on the planet; he’s also a keen gambler. Bolt retired from athletics in 2017 and the following year he began playing a very different game. The track star became an ambassador for an online Poker brand. Not just any Poker brand either, the biggest online Poker brand on the planet. He spearheaded the launch of a special Poker game and he played in several tournaments too. Now he’s turning his attention to slots, and a licensed branded game based on his achievements is set to thrill players.
Neymar Junior
Being the world’s highest paid footballer wasn’t enough for Neymar Jnr. Clearly the player wanted more from life, and so he too signed a lucrative deal with the same Poker brand as Bolt. His stint as a brand ambassador saw him post on both Facebook and Twitter and he also turned up at live events and did photo shoots. It turns out he was also a decent player, and in some cases gave the pros a run for their money!
Cristiano Ronaldo
He may have signed a deal with Juventus for £105 million, but Ronaldo seems to be happy to accept a little bit of pocket money along the way too. He too has inked a deal with the same Poker site as Bolt and Neymar Jnr, and was heavily featured in a number of advertising campaigns. As a keen Poker online player, Ronaldo said that being a brand ambassador was the next natural step, and he thoroughly enjoyed his time promoting the online site.
Mike Tyson
Famous boxer Mike Tyson has endorsed a number of different products in his life, but one of his favourite was Inspired Gaming’s casino games. Iron Mike was asked by Inspired Gaming to collaborate on a number of casino games under his name, and he was only too thrilled to do so. In the end he signed a 15-year exclusive deal that would let the brand use his likeness and name, and this agreement is still going strong.
Zlatan Ibrahimović
The controversial but highly talented footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović has long been an advocate of sports betting, and when he threw his weight behind an online sports betting brand no one was surprised. Not only was he a brand ambassador, he also bought in to the brand and became a stakeholder. This caused an upset across the globe with many anti-gambling activists, but it hasn’t stopped Ibrahimović, and he is still heavily involved in the promotion of the brand he has a stake in.
