Celebrities in Crypto and iGaming, The Expected Faces — And the Unexpected Ones

If someone asks about the celebrities involved with crypto, your first thoughts probably go to the likes of Adin Ross or xQc - top streamers with deals tied to casinos and Kick. Those familiar with the media around iGaming will also think of Kim Kardashian, or the deceased LohanCoin from Lindsey Lohan. What we are here to talk about is the seemingly random, unrelated celebrities that dabble in crypto and iGaming. 

First, the Drake Deal.

In 2020, Drake’s net worth was estimated at around $49 million. This was built from his music career, but is not anywhere as lucrative as his reportedly earning up to $100 million per year since he started his deal with Stake.com. Due to his pre-established hundreds of millions of followers, Drake’s livestreaming of his gambling sessions regularly earn him gambling winnings and ambassador payments. Though, he’s faced criticism over concerns about how his streams may influence younger audiences. Drake is by far the biggest name in the industry, but let's see how his peers stack up.

High-Stakes Players: Gambling, UFC, and NFTs

The undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. was just as aggressive with his investments as he was in the ring. With early hits and great turnaround, he became one of the blueprints for the influencer-driven liquidity extraction. ICO promotions and NFT launches coupled with crypto gambling made him a major presence, but eventually coincided with legal challenges that marked the end of that chapter.

The second match for crypto turned to the UFC’s Dana White. Some of you may remember the UFC fighters being paid in crypto experiments, and White was all in. The UFC audience is often seen as overlapping with gamblers and crypto adopters, and Dana White was closely associated with sportsbooks and crypto casinos to capitalize on this.

Snoop Dogg! As one of the most famous people on the planet, speculation around Snoop Dogg being an early NFT whale under the ‘Cozomo de’ Medici’ wallet, coincided with increased public interest in crypto among his audience. This is coupled by his metaverse involvement, as - similar to UFC- the audiences are often overlapped.

Early Adoption and Hype Cycles

2017, the days right when bitcoin was gaining traction, Paris Hilton had already been promoting the crypto coin. Despite often being dismissed due to the speculative nature of crypto, her long-lasting commitment to it has to be stated.

The Quiet Exits

As one of the biggest names with a non-crypto audience, Kevin Hart’s involvement in NFT campaigns and crypto exchanges during the peak crypto-hype was followed by a noticeable silence after the post-bubble period. Hart’s participation was like traditional brand endorsement, and he mimicked that in his withdrawal once a reputational threat emerged.

Shaquille O’Neal acted similar to Kevin Hart, quietly stepping back as the crypto hype died down despite his involvement with crypto exchanges and sports betting platforms. Shaq’s known for his broad number of industries that he is a long-time ambassador for, and his retreat signaled a broader recalibration among celebrities who regarded crypto as a marketing opportunity.

Tom Brady was also promoting crypto, but was much more conservative, and also did not remain active through the market unwind. His minimal engagement and early leave aligned with his carefully managed public image, reinforcing the idea that market optimism rather than belief in the product has drawn in many celebrities.

How Much Were These Deals Really Worth?

While there are no exact numbers for most celebrities' deals, besides Drake who freely promotes his gained wealth, typical celebrity endorsement pricing and brand ambassadors payments can help us estimate the value these guys got from their deals.

A-listers ( Hollywood, music, and sports stars) are often reported to command anywhere from $50k to $5m per deal depending on fame, platform, and deliverables. Multiyear campaigns from top global names, like Beyonce, have reported up to $50m. Drakes out-of-the-park $100m a year is a statement to how much Stake has to spend.

Most mega influencers like celebrities earn an amount per campaign, and often don't have multiple year deals. The scope of these campaigns makes the typical earning range $10k-$50k per campaign. Micro influencers, under 1m followers, typically earn per post about $10k or less. There are also commission-based deals, where ambassadors can earn 5-30% of revenue/affiliate share based on performance.

Performance-based metrics are tied to awareness and conversion lift, which is why most gambling brands pay top dollar for their influencer deals. Some market estimates suggest gambling brands may make $3-$7 for every $1 spent, though most deals are not disclosed publicly. Crypto casinos like Stake sometimes structure their deals with crypto credits, free gambling balances, or cash which make precise valuation tricky unless directly reported.

The closest reported campaigns we can get to crypto casinos are mobile games and ads. Lebron James is estimated to have earned around $4m for a single mobile game campaign. Jimmy Fallon and Shakira have earned about $1m for their campaign roles (and this is the only time they will be mentioned in the same sentence… ever). Generally, most major actors make anywhere from $500k to $2m per campaign.

Risk and Reward

For celebrities, an unusually volatile opportunity presented itself in crypto and iGaming: an enormous upside with limited commitment, but long term reputational impact once the market turned. Their time in the market depended heavily on if their audiences were already aligned with the products, and those without had great scrutiny put upon them. The outcome has created a clear divide between the celebrities that made themselves a part of the ecosystem and those who treated it as a brief monetization window. However, as the industry moves from spectacle to targeted partnerships that meet performance metrics, a clearer understanding of why celebrities were involved in the first palace emerges. They are accelerants in an industry where attention, conversion, and timing matter more than anything.