Topic: Celebrity Poker Games: Publicity Stunt or Genuine Passion? (Read 412 times)

Why does it have to be so radical on either side? Maybe it's a little bit of both? I believe that there are some celebrities who are on the very edges of this that's true, but I also believe that most of them do it both for publicity stunt a bit and have fun while doing it as well.

To do this, you have to enjoy it at least a bit, otherwise there are other PR moves that your team could get, so that means you must be enjoying it a little bit and I believe that most of the people who does this wouldn't do it without the PR benefit, but wouldn't do it if they disliked it too. So that means it's a little bit of both and that will benefit them if they win because they get the money but also they get a lot of marketing from it as well.

Celebrities are also humans who may have the urge to gamble and poker is a show off place for them just to get the spot light on to them when they aren't getting media attention and there are also who are actually into different games when they are at their peak.

Presence of celebrity will surely bring more attention about the tournament and who knows the casino itself pulling a public stunt to make it happen.

Some celebrities really do gamble just because of the anxiety high that they feel whenever they bet. Given that they have the money, they can do high risks bets and that would not be an issue if they lost.

There are celebrities, however, that gamble because they are somehow associate with the gambling website.

Best example here would be Drake- he is quite popular in the gambling world given that he had multiple hundreds to millions of dollars in bets that both won and lost at the same time. Given that he has a part in Stake, it is no surprise that he gambles BOTH for the advertisement and to feed his gambling urges.

Another example would be Bruno Mars as he was recently on the news with some alleged rumors that he has a debt (which was disproven) with MGM. But in reality, they are really partners in which Bruno would perform in MGM and the latter would compensate him in the form of cash + gambling credits.

The casinos which invite these celebrities are no doubt looking for some publicity. Celebrities are normal people too and are doing what they enjoy. If they’re getting paid an appearance fee and also able to win some prize money on top of that, I don’t see how anybody could pass on an opportunity like that.

I see this move as a public stunt because gambling ideally should be a personal activity. Going to the internet to showcase your wins or lose is suspicious. It makes me feel that there are other reasons for gambling. There are so many celebrities who are genuine gamblers but they don't engage in all this publicity.

I might not specifically state the reason for these public stunts because none of them have openly stated it. But from my observation, some of them are simply advertising a casino or bet company. I suspect that they usually partner with these casinos and have their own commission when people play games using their codes or through their website.

There are many of these celebrities in my location who usually showcase their games online but they don't have any influence on me. I am in total control of my gambling life. As stated before, some of them might be genuine gamblers while others do that for personal gains. This is why many countries are making laws to restrict these unregulated gambling advertisements.

It all depends on the celebrity involved in this condition, some of them in question have a genuine passion for gambling while some are only doing so because they wanted to gain more public attention on themselves, there are gambling organizations also that make use of the celebrities in promoting their services for them, they ensure that they make the necessary adverts in promoting for a particular brand because they have been paid for doing so, while some are only doing it to express their willingness and passion for a particular kind of game.

Celebrities bring a lot of attention to the table, literally and figuratively, which is a big plus for the publicity of the game. It’s true that their main skills and income sources lie elsewhere, so they might not be on the same playing level as professional poker players. This dynamic can indeed make them more vulnerable as players, but it also adds an interesting layer to the game, attracting more viewers and potentially more casual players who see the game as accessible and fun. It’s a neat intersection of entertainment and skill, where both sides the professionals and the celebrities can benefit in different ways.

It’s different on Poker games since they have a special table dedicated for celebrities or a celebrity joining on a casual today for a friendly game only. I think I watch several time a celebrity play the shark tank version of the poker which is fun to watch due to the additional punishment for bluffing and caught when the card reveal.

They might receive some guesting fee but it’s different than to the typical celebrity playing gambling in a casino for promotion just like Drake doing. On this case, they are actually just having fun playing real poker against other players.

Celebrities who are into gambling most of the time didn’t reveal it in the public and remains private, so I think those celebrities who are exposing themselves that they are into gambling is just like a passive marketing campaign or at least part of the contract. Once they have a good number of followers and they start promoting indirectly any gambling site, I believe both parties will benefit from it and they will not do it without getting anything in return, because their reputation are more important honestly.

True, and I don't think that there are influencers or celebrities that will play gambling games or casino websites for free, even if they just do it for fun and entertainment. Yes, maybe, but they will do that off-screen and will not announce it, because if they do that, they are like giving a free advertisement and engagement to the website. I also notice now that many streamers are openly streaming their gambling sessions on different platforms. It's shocking that different platformsare allowing this kind of streaming that involves gambling.
Conclusion: There are many influencers and celebrities who might enjoy gambling or playing on casino websites, but they will not announce it because those websites will get a free advertisement, and they might take advantage of that. Of course, those influencers have minds, and it takes a lot of money for an influencer to advertise something, so why will they make it for free?

I think they add an entertaining factor. I remember too well when Matt Damon played in the WSOP main event. Also Jason Alexander ( Seinfeld's George ), Shannon Elizabeth ( the naked girl from American Pie ) and other are often seen at the WSOP and they never fail to entertain.

These days there are also plenty of football players, basketball players and other professional athletes playing. For the poker sharks they are an easy catch often enough but their speech play sometimes is quite funny.

Long story short, I like it and I think it's good for the game and the entertainment factor.

most of the celebrities or influencers who are involved in online gambling are paid people who are deliberately hired or just work with casinos to market their services. it is very rare for celebrities or influencers to gamble because they like it, even if there are only a few, because usually they will play to get money from referrals, payments from casinos, and the platforms where they stream or tournaments where they compete.

and the involvement of celebrities and influencers in gambling increases the number of people involved in gambling. because they are public figures and their popularity will more or less influence other people to follow in their footsteps.

It can be both. Celebrities are just people like you and me at the end of the day and everyone can enjoy poker. It's an international game. These big tourneys pay a few celebrities or professionals to join the tourney and they get to use those celebrities names to advertise. Win/win for everyone.

Real enthusiasts of something make it known as little as possible,they don't want advertise, a controversial activities like these linked to gambling or maybe other "questionable" hobby.
Probably some one has also a genuine passion (we are all human) but when I see some action made in front of camera, no it's not casual in most cases.

Celebrities who play poker are often the sucker at the table, even if they don't think so themselves. They are people who earn their main income in other ways and who have some idea of playing poker but they aren't nearly as good as professional players, who are happy to invite them. For the industry in general it's also good because it's good publicity.

Depends on the celebrity. There are some who not only join these, but even play at illegal poker games as well. Most famously Toby Maguire (the guy who played spiderman 20 years ago) is a famous poker player and he is quite good at it and in fact he has been known to disrupt a lot of poker games around the country as well.

There is a movie called "molly's game" where a poker game maker Molly, who gathers a lot of people together to play poker, and in that movie there is a famous actor, and that actor is actually toby maguire as well. So all in all, surely there are some who do it just for PR stunt right before their movie comes out and all that, but there are some who actually do love playing poker as well, all depends on which celebrity we are talking about.

Absolutely, they add more entertainment on the game due to their popularity. They are still human that has a craving on gambling, there’s nothing wrong seeing them play poker against regular players. I doubt that they are using gambling for publicity stunt since they have social media to do that rather than playing poker. I consider it as they are just exploring poker since it’s really good to pro players from the side lines.


Kevin Hart is one of my favorite celebrity that play poker. His comedy act is still hit at the right spot even while playing poker. 

Do you think their participation helps to popularize the game and bring it to a wider audience, or is it just another platform for their publicity? Celebrity Poker Games: Publicity Stunt or Genuine Passion? Both answer is the gambling site or the casino just paid the actor to popularize the game some of the actor doesn't care about what they advertising too and I bet that some artist doesn't play gamble or play gamble for fun only and care about the payment after all this is part of their job to advertising a product.

They might play but some of it just do advertisement job, in my opinion

A lot of these celebrities, they love the attention; poker table, red carpet, doesnt matter. Sure, it brings some extra eyes to poker, and thats a good thing. But some of them, you can see right through them. Envious of the true poker pros, hungry for even more fame. Now, there are some real gems out there. Celebrities who truly love the game, they've done their homework, and they can hold their own. I admire that.

A lot of these appearances are calculated. Its about staying relevant, keeping their names in the spotlight. Its a smart strategy, I'll give them that, but it lacks a certain...authenticity, you know? So, tell me, whats your take? Any celebrity poker players who seem like they're the real deal?

100% a stunt. Majority of celebrities who play at these events don't even make it to the bubble and are usually out first or second.

Those famous individuals just riding up the fame of promoting casino since they could able to see that those existing celebrities promoting gambling is earning good cash from those company hired them. That's why the number of promoters rise since there's huge money involve in that business.
Also those company make sure to get those famous individual to expand their brand that's why they can afford to pay any huge amount since they know that they can get something from those famous celebrities.

Yes their participation would really popularize the game since their fans watching their promotion might get interested to try those been promoted by their favorite celebrities.

Nope not convince its for the love of the game but rather for their want to gain some money for their other activities.

I would say that celebrities play poker just for fun, or there is no hidden idea behind it. It is people who try to find something special in every their move. People always try to find a hidden context from every single step celebrities or people make. A person buys water because he is thirsty. People come up with stories that this celebrity support healthy food, is on a diet, has contract with water manufacturer, has health problems and so on and so forth.

I'll say both.
Poker is a game of skills and wit, it also includes acting skills so celebrities will have no problem when it comes to bluffing. I've watched Kevin Hart playing poker before and I can say he ain't good at it. He is too talkative and it's easy to read people like that. But others are good at keeping their cards invisible by not showing any emotions in their eyes so yes it could become a genuine passion for them since poker is a fun game too.

Publicity? Yeah, I bet there are other celebrities who would use poker tournaments as a means to get more popularity because the gambling industry has been growing for so many years up until now and it won't stop yet. So, maybe they are thinking people would want to see the other side of them so they gamble for a bit of fun while trying to grow their fanbase.

No doubt that it's just a publicity stunt, anything that involves a celebrity doing something that's outside of what they usually do that's in the public eye is a publicity stunt, a lot of their fans would definitely want to see their idol celebrity doing something right and it's an easy money for everyone involved because the stunt sells itself with the name of the celebrity involved. There's a reason why a lot of YouTubers and celebrities do this kind of event because they know that it will easily make them money even if some of them do it to donate to charity all of the game's proceeds, that can still count as a tax write off for most of them. I would only consider celebrities doing these games a genuine passion is if they're the kind of people that are open about this and they're famous for these games, that's the time that they're considered to be genuinely passionate about poker and joining these celebrity match ups.

If it's behind the scenes with big stakes it's most likely a genuine passion. If they play in front of an audience while someone is filming them, it's probably an advertisement or just a charity game. I have watched some videos of celebrities playing poker tournaments, and I think the prizes are too small for them to get excited about the game. So I guess they are doing that more for publicity, but those who after that continue somewhere with a private game with high stakes are certainly true poker lovers.


People like to follow celebrities, so when they participate in something it becomes more popular, and the celebrities themselves expand their audience... so it's like a win-win situation.

For a platform to be well publicized, they need a big celebrity to make it on top. And that serves its purpose, they pay a high amount on the endorser, so the celebrity need to also do his job as well. However, I have this perception that for a gambling platform to find someone that will make its brand known, that celebrity should also be a gambler as well. Otherwise, he won’t be able to successfully convince the audience, so he needs to be a gambler and should gamble with his passion so that the audience will keep its high interest to gamble on that platform as well.

I think it’s all of the above. Celebrities rarely publicize anything that they are not getting paid for in some way. Their online existence is being monetized in one way or the other. While some may be genuinely interested in gambling, others may just be doing it to promote casinos they are affiliated with. For example, Drake is known for placing high bets on Stake  a company he is affiliated with) and posting his bet tickets on his socials. I think stunts like this are mostly about promoting gambling casinos.

Nothing much about their involvements though most at times it's for a marketing purpose because when looks at a particular casino or gambling site seeing a famous celebrity using the site they would say for this celebrity to have used this site meaning they are reliable and trusted, hence you would see more people vibe to site to the site to create account to start using them. While some are just like a normal person passing bye and decided to branch and have a cup of tea or coffee, when the branch you look at them say wow so this celebrity comes here to have coffee? And of curse there is no much difference between you and them, just that they are more financially stable than you and I but they are also human filled with blood so there is nothing wrong with them if they are using a particular sites.

Of course it is a smart move. There is no a coincidence many of those casinos and poker platforms have much experience in advertisement and they can afford to invest quite a huge money to make their brands to be seen all around the internet.
Though, I am curious how legal it is for those celebrities to engage with thode casinos without publicly disclosing the partnership they could have with poker tournaments and providers. I recall not long ago there were some laws which forbidden influencers and people with many followers in social media to promote services and cryptocurrencies without giving explicit notice on their relationship with the brand they are talking about. Otherwise, they could face fines and be punished with a violations of the terms of services of the social media they usually post on.

IMO, whether it is a publicity stunt so that they will gain another exposure in the public or not. They are free to do whatever they want.

The gambling industry is open for everyone, whether you're a celebrity or not. I wouldn't be too problematic with how it goes with these people if they're doing it on a purpose.

It is their money to spend and they're just having fun just as how we have fun and trying to make some money off it.

I think it's probably a mix of both. I use to watch a heck of a lot of poker or Texas hold'em when it really blew up back in the early 2000's and you would see it on television all the time.  I think back then celebs would get in truly because they enjoyed playing as the game was so popular. Now, I certainly think it's a mix of truly enjoying it as well as a mix of celebs whom are getting paid big money to entice others to play.

It's a smart move for casinos and poker sites to use the star power to attract new players, making gambling seem more appealing. While some celebrities might truly enjoy the game, the widespread and simultaneous involvement suggests a strategic push to boost the industry's visibility. It's an effective blend of entertainment and advertising, highlighting the power of celebrity influence in promoting gambling.

I don't think it's a stunt, a lot of popular celebrities are pretty public when it comes to how much they enjoy gambling. Not that they can hide it most of the time due to how popular they usually are. It does add to their name as well since at some point, any news is still publicity for them, so it's basically a win-win situation. Not to mention that they're well, filthy rich, so they have a LOT of money to burn.

Those celebrity tournaments though, the ones usually held by streamers and whatnot, now those I'd consider publicity. I reckon a few of those players in said streams, mostly charity ones iirc, are just there to, well, have fun with fellow entertainers and publicize their name together with other bigwig people.

Publicity stunt is the reason why we see celebrities involvement in casino games and sports betting. When a celebrity shares that platform they gamble on the public immediately see that platform to be reputable. The number of clicks, views, and impressions that it will translate to because of the celebrity will be doubled if the celebrity hadn't made any posts. These celebrities will get some commission from each person who signs up following their publicity of the gambling platform while paying the game or even a show of their bet slip.

My guess is there are more chances all of it is just a very clever advertisement strategy for poker websites and casinos to bring even more attention to the world of gambling, specifically poker. Statistically speaking, it is very unlikely all those stars and popular personalities would start to show interest in playing poker at about the same time and get involved with the same casinos, tournaments or advertisers.
Perhaps, we could argue some of those people of fame could actually have some passion for the game or could even develop the passion later as they get involved in gambling, however, the initial encouragement for them to begin with poker and gambling was the profits coming from advertisement.

It is a little bit similar to what we see with casinos and streamers, only that streamers probably get way less money from their job than those celebrities.

Sure! Ben Affleck stands out in the celebrity poker scene not just for his Hollywood fame but for his genuine skill at the game. Winning the California State Poker Championship in 2004, Affleck showed that his interest in poker goes beyond the glitz and glamour, backed by a serious understanding and strategic approach to the game. His success in poker highlights how some celebrities bring real passion and competitive spirit to the table, blending their on-screen personas with the calculated world of professional gambling.

Poker got popular once they started televising it.  Believe it or not a lot of these celebrities play high stakes poker with other pros, some of them are very good.  It's a common game at this point so I feel like most of these people really enjoy the game and got asked to play so why wouldn't they.  And the publicity is a good after effect.

Both, I mean, they can Influence their fans to try the game if the fans finds out that their favorite celebrity plays poker and they can also gain attention for themselves from the media.

Serious about their gambling pursuits? I don't know, but I've seen lists of top celebrity poker players being posted in the past.

Celebrity poker games are usually sponsored and the celebrities are compensated win or lose. It's unlikely that the winning pot would be life-changing for them but the compensation can help them especially if they're at a point in their life where they need money. Usually the pay isn't that great but when celebrities have hit a low point in their career they might go to a lot of such events to get some cash on the side.

I kinda respect the hustle. Even if a celebrity has fallen on B-list status, if they can make a living just by being there and playing half-decent poker to entertain an audience, I'm all for it. Sometimes the pro poker scene gets a little too boring to be honest, and watching celebrities play that might as well be novices and make more unpredictable moves can be more entertaining at times. I like the bluffs and ridiculous risks these guys would take sometimes over any professional player.

Some games could be for publicity stunt, but I do believed that there are celebrities who plays poker from behind with their friends and maybe fellow celebrities as well. Here are the list,

https://www.gambling.com/uk/online-poker/strategy/top-10-celebrity-poker-players-18300


Maybe some of them we are familiar, like Jennifer Tilly who I watched when she played around pro players and so is Matt Damon. So yes, there could be stars that really play for the love of it.

I'm not sure if all of them have passion for it, a good example is the game where Mr. Beast was involved, if you didn't see that game then you should watch it because the hand that he goes all-in are terrible hands. It makes me think of 2 things, Mr. Beast has a lot of money to burn, and Mr. Beast has zero clue about about poker.  Another thing that could happen in that game is a lack of patience.

I will leave the game video here, it was played in Hustler Casino:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztdn85XDX3g

As far as I know those celebrities who did play poker is a real gambler or has passion for the game itself. This celebrities has a ton of money to burn so I wouldn't be surprised if there were underground poker sessions for this celebrities to pass the time and play for real money and for the fun of it.

So with that, I will say majority plays it to show their skills and then have the bragging rights of winning celebrity poker. And if life imitating art, we've seen a lot of movies that has poker as the main center of the story line. Like the movie Rounders.

I don't really believe that any celebrity will be deeply willing to gamble off their money for the sake of gaining popularity for themselves, because I don't really think that such a strategy does add up to them unless they are doing it for the popularity of the casino or game, which sometimes it is for the casino they are promoting. 

In my country, there are a lot of successful (millionaire and billionaire) superstar celebrities (musicians, actors, and actresses,), but on their records, there are only a few that are pictured as persistent gamblers, and only a few of them have had a record of staking a huge amounts or losing a huge amount in gambling. Despite the fact that most of them don't have an intriguing gambling record, most of them are promoting some local and international casinos, but there is no record of them participating heavily in gambling. 

In my own point of view and based on how celebrities in my country are reluctant to gamble, I feel that any celebrity who is deeply participating in gambling more regularly with a heavy amount is only doing so based on the passion they have for it. Or, they have an agreement with the casino to bet a huge amount of money just to promote their casino, but the casino will still refund them the loss. 

There is a lot going on in the dark, with casinos coming up with different strategies to promote their companies and celebrities doing many things to become popular, so never say never. 

I think when it comes to celebrity poker games you get all types of people.  Sure, there are clueless people who are just there to promote themselves and pick up an easy paycheck.  That's inevitable in pretty much anything in life.  However, there are definitely celebrities who take poker seriously and treat it like a serious thing instead of a game.  One that comes to mind lately is MrBeast.  There are plenty though.  Especially in the acting field.  I even saw a movie about this not too long ago...  Where someone started a poker room in college and ended up with a prestigious poker room full of celebrities in a couple years.

yes, it's important to recognize their use of fame as a means to generate income. Of cours, this approach, arguably more astute than mere expenditure on lavish indulgences like casinos, but does raise ethical questions. The crux of the matter lies in whether these celebrities diligently assess the platforms they promote. Given their influence, a blind endorsement could mislead fans, particularly novices, into potentially precarious situations.
Therefore, celebrities, as public figures and de facto opinion leaders, ought to exercise discernment in their endorsements, understanding their inherent responsibility to the public.

We have already seen celebs that are gambling addicts so it's not surprising that they are genuinely playing and losing money up to millions. Mike Jordan was just one of them, he said he bet not just in basketball but also in golf. Some celebs are promoting platforms, these are the kind that use their fame to make money which seems smarter to do than just spending money on casinos.

those sports celebrities I think are really betting on each other even without a platform. They are just not telling it to everybody. Same when we bet against each other even back in high school in sports competitions.

In my estimation, celebrities involvement in gambling is as old as gambling itself. Pardon the exaggeration. Let's just say that it is not a new phenomenon it is not only being documented via the Internet. The world is now more liberal and accepting towards gamblers and the gambling business that any celebrity who tells their fans and admirers via social media or any other Internet source that they gamble will not be cancelled like it would be in the past. Therefore for these sets of celebrities, it is a passion for them.

It is also a publicity stunt too as the gambling industry expands, we have new entrants into the market and also new competitions and innovative marketing strategies that will involve celebrities and influencers with larger following. Using them automatically gives the gambling operator an edge over the others where there are no celebrities pasted on their websites.

It is both a publicity/ marketing stunt and genuine passion for some.

Hey everyone,

I’ve been thinking about the influx of celebrities in the poker world and other gambling arenas. We’ve seen actors, sports stars, and musicians joining high-stakes games, some even participating in world-renowned tournaments. This got me wondering: is celebrity involvement in gambling merely a publicity stunt, or is there a genuine passion for the game behind the scenes?

Do you think their participation helps to popularize the game and bring it to a wider audience, or is it just another platform for their publicity?

Any your thoughts and any stories or cases of celebrity gambling that caught your attention. Have you come across any celebrities who are serious about their gambling pursuits? Or do you feel like these appearances are more for show than for the love of the game?