From Drake to Messi: How Celebrity Deals Are Reshaping the Gambling Industry

On a Saturday night, thousands of fans will tune in to watch Drake stream himself making huge wagers with Stake, offering live giveaways and prizes.

In another part of the world Lionel Messi appears in a polished ad campaign with his Argentina teammates, fronting a gambling operator’s regional push.

At the same time younger players are lining up Aviator — a fast-paced crash game made for the TikTok generation — while catching UFC highlights. These moments might seem unrelated, but they all point to the same trend.

Gambling is no longer just about the games. It’s about who can market them, who can give them credibility, and who can connect them with new audiences.

The iGaming industry, once focused on building the best roulette table or slot machine, is now being reshaped by celebrity deals, influencer campaigns, and cultural crossover.

So how did we get here? The transformation didn't happen overnight, but its effects are impossible to ignore. What we're witnessing is the complete mainstreaming of an industry that once operated in the shadows, now powered by the world's biggest stars who don't just endorse gambling brands, they actively reshape how millions of people think about risk, reward, and play.

Such a Big Change in Such Short Time

Five years ago the world of online gambling was driven mostly by product innovation. Operators raced to offer the slickest slots and table games, reimagining classics like roulette with live dealers and bonus rounds.

The marketplace became increasingly crowded with more games and more choices, but one truth quickly became clear: having a world-class portfolio wasn’t enough if nobody saw it. The best casino sites show how the market is full of polished products, but the challenge has always been how to stand out in busier spaces.

That was when the celebrity revolution began. Brands realised that real growth meant going beyond the algorithm and making direct emotional connections. Influencers, brand ambassadors and world-class athletes started to shape the face of iGaming, turning betting sites into cultural touchstones.

Speaking the Language of Fans

Today’s iGaming ambassadors do more than just endorse a brand. They create ways for fans to engage that traditional ads could never match, and this effect becomes even stronger when campaigns are tailored for local audiences.

Dimitar Berbatov, for example, serves as the face of LiveScore in Bulgaria, helping the platform connect with football fans in a way that feels personal, authentic, and culturally relevant. This matters because it brings a dedicated Balkan audience to one operator, strengthening its position in a market that has grown significantly and experienced major changes over the past four years.

Drake's partnership with the crypto-betting platform Stake illustrates this evolution perfectly. Rather than appearing in polished commercials, Drake regularly livestreams himself placing enormous wagers on UFC fights, NBA games, and other major sporting events. His bets become events in their own right, watched by millions who tune in not just for the gambling but for the spectacle.

What makes Drake’s approach so compelling is how his bets become part of the wider cultural story. Earlier this year, when he placed a huge wager on Kendrick Lamar during their highly publicised rap feud, fans weren’t just watching a bet, they were watching a moment unfold in real time.

Suddenly, gambling was not just about sports or casino games. It became part of everyday conversation, memes, and social feeds, reaching audiences that traditional marketing could never touch.

The Messi Effect

Perhaps nowhere is the celebrity effect more pronounced than in region-specific partnerships. When Parimatch secured its sponsorship deal with the Argentina national football team in July 2024, it achieved something unprecedented, becoming the official sponsor of a World Cup-winning national side, complete with the global reach that comes with Messi's involvement.

The company's follow-up campaign this year demonstrated exactly why celebrity partnerships have become so crucial for market expansion, especially in LatAm.

Using CGI recreations of Messi, Enzo Fernández, and Lautaro Martínez, alongside clips of Messi's famous World Cup goal against Mexico, Parimatch created content that resonated deeply with Argentine fans. The tagline "One passion, one team" wasn't just marketing fluff. It tapped into genuine national pride.

The timing couldn’t be better. With the 2026 World Cup approaching, Messi represents the ultimate bridge between casual and committed bettors. The tournament attracts millions of one-off punters who might place their first-ever wager on their national team during a promotional campaign.

The real prize, however, the industry’s Jules Rimet, is converting these casual fans into regular players long after the final whistle.

This is where celebrity partnerships become crucial for player retention. When someone places their first bet on Argentina because Messi is involved, operators use gamification to keep them engaged and build that player journey.

This includes personalised offers linked to upcoming fixtures, loyalty programmes that unlock exclusive content, and data-driven recommendations that gradually introduce new betting markets.

The goal is not just to capture World Cup excitement but to turn a patriotic punt into a lasting relationship with the platform.

Beyond Tradition and a Look to the Future

Celebrity influence in iGaming now extends beyond marketing and into the products themselves. The rise of crash games like Aviator shows how gambling is evolving to meet the expectations of a new generation.

Simple, fast-paced, and designed for audiences familiar with TikTok and Instagram, these games have quickly become some of the most popular offerings in modern online casinos.

Aviator’s partnership with UFC demonstrates how this evolution works in practice. By aligning the high-stakes, adrenaline-fuelled action of a crash game with the intensity of combat sports, both industries benefit. UFC gains a digital product that mirrors the excitement of its events, while Aviator reaches a global fanbase that thrives on spectacle and risk.

Looking ahead, the line between gambling, entertainment, and celebrity culture is set to blur even further.

When UFC fighters promote games to millions of fans, or when Drake’s Stake streams draw huge audiences, gambling becomes part of mainstream entertainment rather than an isolated activity.

Operators who embrace this convergence can create experiences that feel alive, social, and genuinely fun, giving players new ways to connect with the games, the stars, and each other, and shaping what iGaming will feel like for years to come.