Sparking Influence of Celebrities on Sports Betting Phenomenon

Iyke Bede writes that an increasing number of celebrity bettors in Nigeria, some of whom choose not to publicly declare their wins or losses, are taking a bet in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)

Sports betting brands and celebrities, in general, are an inseparable duo. Little wonder there has been a spike in the number of signed celebs as brand ambassadors, ranging from singers to actors to celebrated football stars. In this mutual union, sports bookers leverage the sheer star power of celebrities to put a good foot forward. On the other hand, these celebrities sign contracts with pecuniary benefits. The endgame? The punters are the ones who are usually enticed and sometimes inspired by the brand ambassadors to aspire to greatness through potential wins on placed stakes. 

Although celebrities like Portable (Lucky Bet), Mikel Obi (BetWinner), and Broda Shaggi (BetKing) zhuzh up brand’s perception to consumers, more and more celebrities have adopted the betting lifestyle regardless of landing brand deals or not, further influencing their fan bases, converting non-bettors to first-time bettor who eventually experiences all the emotions tethered to guessing, staking and painstakingly waiting through a match or series of matches to know their fate. This phenomenon is not typical of any region. It is ubiquitous. 

Some well-known international celebrity sports bettors include Jamie Foxx, Matt Damon, Floyd Mayweather, Michael Jordan, and Charlie Sheen. 

Notorious in this realm is Canadian rapper Drake, who has now earned an ominous reputation that birthed ‘The Drake Curse’. As many would put it, “If Drake

Notorious in this realm is Canadian rapper Drake, who has now earned an ominous reputation that birthed ‘The Drake Curse’. As many would put it, “If Drake places a bet for a particular team or person, go the other way because chances are: you’d win.” Regardless of this reputation, it hasn’t been all losses for the ‘One Dance’ rapper, who has tried the game of chance across various competitive sports such as basketball, football, Formula 1, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). 

With a fondness for Nigeria-born Israel Adesanya, the revered middleweight mixed martial artist, Drake believes he will consistently land a winning blow against his opponent. Securing a victory at UFC 276, facing defeat at UFC 281, and achieving a double triumph at UFC 287, this rapper has consistently trusted his gut instinct. Unfortunately, recent events have shown that this approach has faltered.

At the recently concluded UFC 297, Drake lost a substantial $700,000 after backing Sean Strickland to defeat South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis, thus reinstating the ‘Curse’. Singlehandedly, Drake’s exploits in the UFC alone provide more reach and exposure due to the conversations he generates from his wins or losses. 

Aside from the global stage, there is also an increasing number of celebrity bettors in Nigeria, albeit many choose not to declare their wins or losses publicly. But for those who do, the thrill in their announcement is quite palpable.  

In the current Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), Nigerian singer and songwriter Kingsley Okonkwo, widely recognised as Kcee, revealed on his Instagram page that he secured a prize of N11.7 million by wagering N3 million in favour of the Super Eagles to triumph over Côte d’Ivoire in Group A’s second match.

Pledging his support to the national team, he wrote, “Let’s do this again, Super Eagles! My money is on you guys! Eagles, let’s soar high!”

In a sad turn of events, Kcee’s younger brother, Emeka Okonkwo, popularly known as E-Money, didn’t enjoy the same fate as him. Prior to AFCON, E-Money has been noted for his passion for betting on games. He regularly shares a screenshot of his accumulator with over 13 million followers. 

E-Money missed the opportunity to secure N12.3 million with a N3 million wager on Nigeria scoring more than one goal (over 1.5) against Côte d’Ivoire. The match concluded with a solitary goal in favour of Nigeria. At the time of posting on Instagram, a substantial portion of his followers replicated his actions, wagering per their financial capabilities. Upon revisiting the post, a notable number expressed deep disappointment from the loss, while others sought solace, reaffirming their confidence in his match prediction skills.

As the AFCON is now in its knockout phase, one can anticipate heightened engagement from these celebrity punters. This increased activity is poised to have a considerable impact on their substantial following, regardless of whether the Nigerian team advances beyond the quarter-final in which the Super Eagles are billed to tackle the Angolan national team. 

In 2021, when Chelsea FC defeated Spanish royals Real Madrid before advancing to the UEFA finals to knock out Manchester City, Nigerian musician and one half of the musical duo P-Square, Peter Okoye, announced his $100,000 win. 

Similarly, during the 2022 World Cup final, when Argentina trashed France to lift the coveted cup, Nigerian musician Azeez Fashola, famed as Naira Marley, won a combined £3,888.41 from his various accumulators including a bet builder with selections such as Argentina winning the cup, Lionel Messi scoring anytime, over 2.5 goals, and Kylian Mbappe scoring anytime.

Whether for better or worse, the impact of these celebrities extends widely, especially with the expanding scale of the sports betting sector, which was estimated to encompass over 60 million punters, with a market valuation of $2 billion in 2020. 

To ensure a balance is reached, this influence has spurred action from both regulatory bodies and operators to check responsible gaming on both offline and online platforms and curb underage gamers who have direct access to content these celebrities share on their platforms. 

With AFCON in full gear and many more sporting tournaments to open in the coming months, one can only guess which celebrity will pull their weight behind what player or team. But as we await, their fate remains uncertain—victory or defeat.