Wembanyama’s Stance Unlikely To Stop NBA Players Embracing Gambling Sponsors
Victor Wembanyama says it is “sad” to see fellow NBA stars promote gambling, but his stance is unlikely to change the widespread endorsement of the industry.
Wembanyama’s comments came off the back of LeBron James signing a deal with Polymarket, where he will earn almost four times his roughly $4 million annual salary with the 76ers.
Polymarket is reportedly paying James $15 million per year to promote the prediction market platform. He also has a deal with DraftKings, signed in 2024.
“I will never do that,” Wembanyama said. “Honestly, I think it’s very sad to see some players promote it.”
Durant Distances Himself From Wembanyama’s Stance
Kevin Durant was one of the first players to respond to the San Antonio Spurs’ star’s comments.
“That’s Wemby. He’s going to do what he does. That has nothing to do with me. I really don’t think about that question at all,” Durant said Friday. “It’s not really on my mind as much as his. But people are going to do what they want to do.”
Durant actively promotes FanDuel as a brand ambassador, posting picks for NFL games on social media. He has also invested in both Underdog and Kalshi.
How we feeling Commanders fans? @FanDuel https://t.co/bBuDhK7fGN
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) September 20, 2026
NBA Players Embrace Prediction Markets, Sweepstakes
James and Durant are far from alone in doing deals with gambling companies. Others have partnered with all kinds of companies from sweepstakes casinos to daily fantasy sports to prediction markets.
Here are just some of the active players who have investments or sponsorship deals:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: Betano ambassador, Kalshi shareholder and brand ambassador.
- Ajay Mitchell: Kalshi investor and equity holder.
- Devin Booker: Kalshi creative promotional partner.
- Jaime Jaquez Jr.: Kalshi investor and equity holder.
- James Harden: MyPrize creator, ambassador, and streamer.
- Karl-Anthony Towns: Hola Prime ambassador.
- Nikola Jokić: Superbet European brand ambassador.
- Paul George: PrizePicks promotional partner.
- Trae Young: Underdog Fantasy equity holder and promotional partner.
With several players now promoting prediction markets, the NBA is also considering official partnerships.
Division on Whether Players Deserve Cut of Betting Money
The NFL bans players from personally endorsing betting, although the league has official partnerships with DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics.
In the Premier League, players are also prohibited from promoting gambling. The league introduced a ban on gambling companies appearing on the front of shirts from this season. Despite this, every club has official betting partners.
It raises questions of whether players should be allowed to promote gambling individually. The NBA has a similar policy to the MLB and NHL. Players can promote betting, just not on their own sport.
“Any revenue generated by the league from sports betting—whether it’s called an ‘integrity fee’ or a data licensing deal—is Basketball Related Income,” said Michele Roberts, former executive director of the NBA Players Association (NBAPA). “Our position is straightforward: if the league receives a dollar from gambling, the players are entitled to their share of that dollar.”
In the last collective bargaining negotiations, the NBAPA let owners implement stricter salary limitations, but allowed players to promote and invest in gambling companies. Equity stakes are limited to 1%. This agreement runs until 2030.
Players Suffer Backlash From Bettors
“To half the world, I’m just helping them make money on DraftKings,” bemoaned Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton. “I’m just a prop.”
Several other players have reported receiving death threats from disgruntled bettors, including Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Bradley Beal.
Durant also said he was sick of the finger-pointing at players. In a post on X, he wrote, “When u lose, there’s finger pointing. When u win, there’s gloating about how smart you are about seeing the future. No gratitude to the service workers like myself. I’m sick of it.”
That may explain his willingness to take money from gambling companies. If players have to bear the brunt of abuse, they are entitled to the benefits of betting.
“It is the players’ performance, their stats, and their biometric data that are being monetized by these betting platforms,” added Roberts. “You cannot commercialize our players’ intellectual property and real-time athletic data without compensating the men actually on the court.”
Wembanyama appears to be an exception to the belief that players should take a stance and reject the industry’s money. No other player has endorsed his views, and most others look happy to accept multi-million dollar deals if they are offered.
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