A leading Minnesota opponent of sports gambling and prediction markets denounced the partnership between the state’s NBA star and a prediction market operator.
On Oct. 6, Atlanta-based PrizePicks, which also offers daily fantasy sports gambling, announced a deal to sponsor Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. Edwards is the latest active NBA player to become a brand ambassador for a controversial prediction market or other online gambling company.
Sen. John Marty, chair of the Minnesota Senate Finance Committee, told GamblingHarm.org via email that Edwards’ deal with the out-of-state gambling operator is “deeply troubling.”
“With rapidly growing gambling addiction among adults and young people, it’s deeply troubling to see superstar athletes—people viewed as role models and leaders—pushing this addictive product,” Marty said. “Prediction markets are unregulated sports gambling that use AI algorithms to hit people when they are most vulnerable.”
Edwards, the former No. 1 overall pick and four-time All-Star, will be heavily featured in the company’s major advertising and social media campaigns. His deal announcement came just days after NBA star Victor Wembanyama condemned athlete endorsements of online gambling products.
Legal Fight in Minnesota
Minnesota enacted landmark legislation in May criminalizing the operation and promotion of prediction markets, but a federal judge temporarily blocked enforcement before the law took effect.
On July 27, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez granted a preliminary injunction protecting exchanges registered as designated contract markets with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The judge found the challengers were likely to succeed on their federal-preemption claims, though the ruling was not final.
The U.S. Supreme Court may eventually decide the legal fate of sports gambling via prediction markets.
Meanwhile, PrizePicks lists Minnesota as a state with all of its real-money products, including sports bets.
Growing Crisis
Research has linked sports betting expansion to greater food insecurity, bankruptcies, domestic violence, and other societal harms.
Marty has spearheaded efforts to block commercial sports betting legalization in Minnesota, one of just 11 states without state-authorized traditional sports betting. Marty’s opposition is echoed by a growing number of public health experts, including former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who have described betting as a “crisis.”
“We’re facing an exponential growth in gambling addiction, which will lead to more suicides and young people losing the money they need for higher education,” Marty added. “We banned prediction markets in Minnesota because of the mental health crisis caused by this industry. Leagues, teams, and players should do the same.”
Photo via PrizePicks press release.
