Victor Wembanyama says he will never endorse sports betting companies

Victor Wembanyama said after San Antonio Spurs practice on Thursday, October 1, that he would never partner with a sports betting or prediction-market company. Asked about the possibility by the San Antonio Express-News, the 22-year-old replied, ‘Absolutely not. I will never do that.’ His position draws a clear line on a type of endorsement that NBA rules permit and several prominent players have taken.

Wembanyama also criticized the promotion of gambling by players, without naming anyone. ‘Honestly, I think it’s very sad to see some players promote it,’ he said, according to the Express-News. He ended his answer by saying that everyone makes their own choices, ‘but without me.’ His remarks describe his own sponsorship decision; they do not announce a change in league policy.

Why Wembanyama says he rejects betting deals

The Spurs player told the Express-News that money had once been a factor in his endorsement decisions but was no longer decisive. ‘There was a dimension of money in the past. Not anymore,’ he said. He added that he had refused ‘much, much more money’ for things that did not fit his values. The published interview does not identify those offers or establish whether any came from betting companies.

Wembanyama explained his standard in terms of the influence athletes have beyond their salaries. ‘I want to promote things that have a good impact, have a good influence in the world,’ he said. Although players earn millions, he said, their ‘biggest strength is inspiring’ people. ‘I want to inspire in a good way,’ he added. That is his stated reason for drawing the line, rather than an assessment of any particular company’s conduct.

How NBA betting endorsements and partnerships work

NBA rules allow players to endorse betting and prediction-market sites, the Express-News reported, provided the endorsements do not involve bets on specific NBA games or entities. Wembanyama’s refusal is therefore a personal position within a sponsorship market open to other players. The report identified Giannis Antetokounmpo as a Kalshi shareholder, Kevin Durant as a paid FanDuel spokesman and LeBron James as having signed a reported $15 million endorsement deal with Polymarket.

The league has its own betting relationships. In a November 2021 announcement, the NBA said DraftKings and FanDuel had become co-official sports betting partners, with rights to use NBA assets across betting and fantasy platforms. It said FanDuel odds could appear on the Games page of NBA.com and described FanDuel as presenting partner of the weekly NBABet Show. The NBA’s later official partner listing names DraftKings and FanDuel as domestic official gaming partners.

The same 2021 announcement said the NBA would work with the companies on responsible-gambling education, advertising standards and practices intended to protect the integrity of games. Those league commitments and Wembanyama’s personal choice concern different decisions: one sets out a partnership framework, while the other concerns whose products he is willing to promote. His remarks do not establish that the league or its other players will alter their arrangements.

Betting concerns extend beyond sponsorships

The wider debate about sports betting also includes how athletes and staff are treated by bettors. The Associated Press reported on September 15 that five major US professional leagues and their players associations asked regulators in 35 states and the District of Columbia for stronger protection against threats and harassment. According to AP’s account of their letter, bettors who lose can direct threatening or abusive messages at players, coaches and families, both online and in person.

AP reported that Ohio, West Virginia, Louisiana and Wyoming already exclude bettors who threaten or abusively harass sports participants from licensed sportsbooks or mobile apps. The leagues and players associations sought broader protections. That request provides context for concerns about betting’s effects on sport, though Wembanyama did not cite the letter or say that harassment prompted his refusal.

For now, the established change is Wembanyama’s explicit answer to an endorsement question. He has said he will not promote a betting or prediction-market site and has explained that he weighs a potential sponsor against his values and the influence he wants to have. The interview does not disclose the details of any betting offer to him, and it cannot establish what sponsorship decisions other players or the NBA will make next.