Music and gambling have long been associated with each other. After all, it was the association of artists like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. in the Rat Pack days that first gave Las Vegas its celebrity allure.
Over the years this gradually escalated and now everyone from U2 to Adele and from Elton John to Britney Spears have taken up lengthy residencies in Sin City.
We’re also now in an age in which celebrity endorsements are an essential element in many organisations’ marketing strategies. So, it comes as no big surprise that casinos and other areas of gambling are now, more than ever, courting some of the biggest names in entertainment to be their brand ambassadors.
This has become especially the case ever since the US Supreme Court made its historic ruling in 2018 to permit sports gambling should a state government allow it.
The newly permissive atmosphere has gradually expanded beyond sports betting to all areas of the sector, particularly online as more gambling operators are opening up for business and eager to recruit new players.
The benefits for both sides
This is two-way traffic. For the casino and gambling operators having the endorsement of a popular artist is going to mean that some of that star-power will inevitably rub off on them. This is something that big brands like Pepsi have known for a long time through their association with the biggest names of each generation.
And it’s not just glamour that it lends to the brand, it’s a special form of legitimacy and endorsement too.
For the musicians the benefits are principally financial. Once there was a time when sales of their recorded music could make them rich. Today it’s a very different story thanks to streaming platforms that only work as effective revenue generators for the biggest and most successful artists in the world.
So, the alternative has been to focus on live performance for artists wanting to make it rich. Hence the rise of the mega tours like the Taylor Swift phenomenon as well as the escalating price of the tickets for the concerts themselves.
However, touring’s tiring and time consuming. So, any other possible source of earnings is likely to be keenly embraced by artists, and keenly embraced it has been.
The biggest names so far
By far the highest profile of these associations to date has been the one between Drake and the cryptocurrency casino Strike. Set up in 2017 by a pair of entrepreneurs called Bijan Tehrani and Edward Craven, by 2022 it was generating $2.6 billion in revenue a year.
This was when Drake first partnered with Strike, allegedly earning $100,000 a year for lending his name. Since then he has gone increasingly public with his involvement listing it prominently as one of his brand associations on his Instagram profile. He also regularly lets followers know about the bets he’s been making on the platform including the $450,000 he laid down to back Israel Adesanya to defeat Dricus Du Plessis in the fight for middleweight title at UFC 305.
A bet, incidentally, that he lost.
Another name from the world of rap who is increasingly getting into bed with the gambling world is Jay-Z.
In his case he has wholehearted thrown in his support for a project that’s designed to enhance and regenerate the West Side of his home city, New York. Through his Roc Nation corporation he has pledged to support a scheme to build a Caesars Palace casino in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen.
More than just the introduction of a new casino, this is just part to a plan to improve many aspects of the area including providing after-school programmes, improving sanitation and reducing traffic congestion. So it would seem that Jay-Z’s involvement is as altruistic as it’s profit-focused.
Sportsbooks have also been quick to establish links with some of the biggest names in hip-hop and urban music. For example, Draft Kings tied up with The LOX, Rick Ross and Fat Joe to create a specially commissioned song called The Game which has been extensively used online. The same sportsbook has also adapted the lyrics of songs by Dave East and Polo Perks to include their brand name, and not very subtly.
Even Nicky Minaj was recruited by the admittedly short-lived MaximBet as brand ambassador so it seems that no genre will be excluded in the future from receiving overtures from the gambling industry.
On the surface, this is good news for musicians looking for new ways to earn. But, like all brand endorsements, caution will be needed on both sides. Because nothing damages a brand’s reputation quite like when one of its brand representatives gets cancelled – always a risk in the world of rap, as Ye can testify only too well.
