NBA star LeBron James is set to partner with prediction market platform Polymarket following the expiration of his endorsement deal with gambling operator DraftKings earlier this year.
James announced the partnership on social media on 5 September, posting a short video from a fictional Polymarket headquarters on X. The post received almost 10 million views within seven hours.
The NBA doesn’t specifically prohibit players from endorsing prediction markets but they cannot promote contracts tied to the NBA, which is similar to the league’s existing rules around traditional sports betting.
The partnership comes as prediction markets continue to expand across the US, with many state regulators and lawmakers arguing that sports event contracts amount to sports betting and should be subject to gambling laws instead of being treated as financial products.
