High-profile wager
Devin Booker's $1M Super Bowl bet sparks gambling debate and viral buzz
A post on X has generated millions of views after it revealed that NBA star Devin Booker bet $1m via Fanatics Sportsbook on the Seattle Seahawks to win Super Bowl LX.
Booker reportedly placed the hefty bet on Seattle to cover a 3.5-point spread against the New England Patriots on Sunday at Levi's Stadium.
X user @Boisabronco shared Booker's bet last week on the social media platform, with the post since gaining over 3.3m views:
Should Seattle cover, Booker will pocket around $1.8m. While some social media users commented on the money, some suggested it was a FanDuel marketing ploy, while even more expressed shock at an NBA player betting on the NFL.
Instant attention
The timing of Booker's bet amid the FBI's continued gambling investigations into the NBA has caused many social media users confusion.
X user @willfitz94 responded to the viral post that he thought "professional athletes weren't supposed to bet on sports? Regardless of what sport they play?"
This was a common response to the bet, despite Booker being allowed to bet on the NFL under NBA gambling rules, which generally allow NBA players to wager on sports other than basketball.
Another user suggested Booker's slip could be fake because athletes who bet don't broadcast it, adding that if it was real, it was "some type of promo he's doing."
a PR stunt to promote Fanatics new book
X user Scott Picard also suggested the slip might be marketing driven. "Like Kendall Jenner is posting ads then Booker makes a bet?" Picard linked Tom Brady and Jenner, adding that Brady is a friend of Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin. "This all seems to me as a PR stunt to promote Fanatics new book," he said.
Marketing antics?
The suggestion of an ad campaign follows an Instagram post by Rubin last week in which he asked: "Are you betting with or against @kendalljenner on @fanaticssportsbook?"
"I bet a million the Seahawks get that ring before you do @kendalljenner," Booker responded.
Jenner's connection comes from her being the face of Fanatics' Super Bowl LX ad, in which she lords her wealth made by betting on the bad performances of her exes, who include Devin Booker and NBA stars Jordan Clarkson and Blake Griffin.
