One of the biggest NBA stars of all time, Shaquille O’Neal, has signed a partnership agreement with WynnBET which will see the 15-time all-star become the newest brand ambassador for the app.
Shaq will start in his new role effective immediately, promoting the brand and serving as a strategic consultant for WynnBET.
According to current plans, O’Neal is set to appear in a series of TV, digital and printed media ads across several platforms. He will also appear at in-person events for the fans who will get an opportunity to meet their idol and learn more about the WynnBET brand.
The current schedule also has Shaq interacting with Wynn’s media partners, including Cumulus Media and Minute Media, and serve as the face of a free-to-play game inside WynnBET that will be named “ShaqPot.”
“Shaquille O’Neal has been a great friend of Wynn Las Vegas for many years, and we are thrilled to expand our relationship with him through a partnership with WynnBET,” said Wynn Interactive CEO Craig Billings. “[He is] a successful businessman, NBA legend and one of the most well-known personalities in sports media. We believe our players will enjoy interacting with him through the WynnBET app and are excited to feature Shaq in our advertising campaign set to debut later this summer.”
The agreement will require O’Neal to sell his minority stake in the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. League rules forbid franchise owners from being directly involved with betting companies.
O’Neal, who acquired approximately 2-4% of the Kings in September 2013, is likely to make a windfall from a sale. According to reports, the entire NBA franchise was worth $534 million when Shaq bought his stake; today the franchise is reportedly worth $1.8 billion.
WynnBET on the Rise in Michigan
WynnBET first launched in Michigan in early 2021 and has been making a great effort to become a serious player in the market ever since.
Wynn’s performance for the month of June saw a slight decline compared to previous month, but this was still enough to see the operator climb into sixth place in Michigan.
The operator’s gross online casino revenue in June came out to $3.9 million, a decline from $4.3 million in May. Its market share also dipped to 4.5%, but similar number declines were seen with other operators as well.
WynnBET has been making an effort to get closer to local customers in Michigan through a series of partnerships as well, linking up with major local sports organizations.
In June, WynnBET entered a sports betting partnership with the Detroit Pistons, Michigan’s NBA franchise. It is important to note that the O’Neal deal is not directly related to this partnership, as the player never played on the Pistons team in his career.
Last month, WynnBET extended their Michigan presence with yet another sports betting partnership, this time with the NFL’s Detroit Lions.
These partnerships will see the WynnBET brand and logo appear across the various advertising platforms, including the on-stadium ads, social media platforms, and more. All of these efforts should see WynnBET continue to increase its market share and impact in the Michigan iGaming market.
