Do Celebrities Matter When Endorsing Wagering Companies?
Nov 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns former player Charles Barkley sits courtside against the Minnesota Timberwolves during an NBA Cup game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Many gambling companies are incorporating celebrity endorsements into their marketing, believing it will help build the company’s brand, drive sign-ups, and generate traffic.
Do celebrity endorsements actually matter? A new study revealed the answers.
Celebrity Endorsements & Gambling: Survey Results
How do gamblers react when they see a celebrity promoting a certain sportsbook or casino?
YouGov, a data analytics firm in the UK, ran a poll to determine if celebrity gambling endorsements impact brand impression. Here were the results:
42% of U.S. gamblers who see a celebrity in a gambling ad view the brand positively. Furthermore, 14% of those same people changed their answer to “very positively.”
42% of U.S. gamblers said that seeing a celebrity-branded gambling ad does not affect their perception of the brand. Consequently, 10% of U.S. gamblers said that it hurt their perception of the brand.
What about non-gamblers? 70% of Americans 21+ said a celebrity-fronted gambling ad does not change their perception. In that same group, 12% indicated that celebrities had a positive impact on their views of gambling brands, and 12% said it had a negative impact.
A plurality of American gamblers say that watching a celeb-fronted gambling ad doesn’t change their perception of the brand (42%). Among Americans on the whole, this share rises to 70%.
Do Celebrities Matter for Gambling Ads?
How much does having a celebrity matter for a gambling brand? That’s the million-dollar question. For celebrities like Charles Barkley, who has a lucrative deal with FanDuel, it’s a multi-million-dollar question for companies.
Celebrity exposure to a gambling brand definitely helps. 43% of gamblers are more likely to notice a gambling brand and be entertained by it with a celebrity endorsement.
However, 46% of gamblers say that these popular figures make brands appear “less authentic or overly promotional.”
The general population believes that celebrity involvement does not equal trust. Only 13% of Americans said that gambling brands feel more responsible with a celebrity at the forefront of the marketing.
Does Having the Right Celebrity Matter?
Judging by the data above, celebrities can impact how the population views a gambling brand. Knowing who the celebrity is can potentially be a determining factor in this study.
Among the gamblers polled, 41% believe professional athletes and gambling professionals are the ideal celebrities to endorse a wagering company. The next list of celebrities whom gamblers feel are applicable for gambling endorsements are actors (38%), musicians (34%), and reality TV stars (28%).
The general public is less passionate about celebrity endorsers. Only 18% of the Americans polled believe professional athletes are suitable to endorse gambling companies.
Conclusion: Celebrity endorsements matter, but finding the right ambassador is more important.
Tags/Keywords
Players trust our reporting due to our commitment to unbiased and professional evaluations of the iGaming sector. We track hundreds of platforms and industry updates daily to ensure our news feed and leaderboards reflect the most recent market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience within iGaming, our team provides a wealth of expert knowledge. This long-standing expertise enables us to deliver thorough, reliable news and guidance to our readers.
Latest News
