LeBron’s enormous following will draw even more eyes to the world of sports betting. He has more than 150 million Instagram and 50 million X (formerly Twitter) followers and is one of the most recognizable public figures worldwide.
Despite that, LeBron can’t legally bet on sports—at least not at home. Sports betting is illegal in California and cannot become legal until 2025 at the earliest. Sportsbooks and lobbyists strongly pushed for two pro-sports wagering measures, Propositions 26 and 27, during the 2022 general election, though both ultimately failed.
Darren Rovell, a sports business reporter who does lots of work in sports betting, shared his trepidation with LeBron’s deal. Tweeting to his 1.9 million followers, Rovel said LeBron needs to pick winners against the spread instead of straight moneyline picks as he did last year, or else the deal will fail.
“When LeBron made his picks this year, he made moneyline picks, which no one is interested in, especially when they are massive favorites,” said Rovell. “This deal is dead on arrival if it’s not against the spread.”
The Los Angeles Lakers’ megastar isn’t the first active athlete to find themselves entrenched in the sports betting industry. Edmonton Oilers star and former MVP, Connor McDavid, became the first athlete in a major North American sport to partner with a sports betting company when he joined BetMGM as a brand ambassador in March 2022.
Colorado Rockies designated hitter Charlie Blackmon also became the MLB player to partner with a sports betting operator when he signed a deal with the since-shuttered MaximBet in 2022.
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