Bright and early Sept. 5, LeBron James posted a now-deleted 14-second clip on X of him walking into the Polymarket headquarters captioned, “Welcome to Polymarket HQ. Coming soon. In partnership with Polymarket.”
According to Britannica, Polymarket is a “prediction market platform that allows users to speculate on the outcome of real-world events across popular culture, weather, sports, economics, politics, and other areas of interest.”
In other words, Polymarket and other similar platforms like Kalshi are unregulated, nationwide gambling for anything under the sun. Users are no longer betting on over-unders and final scores. You can now bet on deportations or the outcome of the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. This is an active superstar using his global reach to normalize a culture that bets on every shot, movement and foul. It is a dangerous shift towards an out-of-control gambling culture in sports.
This partnership reflects a bleak milestone for professional sports. James is the face of the NBA, and by partnering with Polymarket, he is signaling professional sports are surrendering to the unregulated gambling market. This isn’t like a player collaborating with Chipotle to make a high-protein meal. Sports doesn’t need a superstar to break into the prediction market scene – it’s already there, and by far the most popular topic.
Sports betting is still illegal in 11 states and retail-only in seven states, meaning prediction markets are incredibly accessible, driving their popularity. Sports “traders” are also the most active on Polymarket, placing an average of $9 per “trade.”
According to Lia Nower, director of Rutgers University’s center for gambling studies, the widespread legalization of sports betting means unregulated prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi have an “additive effect onto the legal forms of gambling,” which will “contribute to increasing rates of problem gambling in the years to come.”
Even though James’ collaboration with Polymarket will apparently focus on football, the distinction doesn’t really matter; a gateway is a gateway. Gambling culture produces no real winners at the end of the day, especially on a platform like Polymarket where 70% of traders lose money, and the top 0.04% take home the majority of profits.
The health risks are well-documented. According to the American Psychological Association, “Problematic gambling is indeed more frequent where gambling is easier to access,” and as prediction markets spread, lawmakers and researchers are “scrambling to keep up.”
Despite this, James decided to partner with Polymarket and promote prediction markets, and I hate to say it, but it is that deep. Athletes are widely idolized by children, and APA points out, “adolescents and young men are particularly at risk for developing problem gambling.” James offering his personal stamp of approval to an audience full of impressionable young men is a complete abuse of influence.
The hypocrisy from league leadership muddies the waters even more. The NBAhas strict rules barring any NBA players, personnel and coaches from betting on games. Last year, former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter was banned from the league for gambling and sharing information with bettors, and former Miami Heat player Terry Rozier took a $100,000 bribe to fake an injury for bettors, leading to his arrest.
Players who gamble on their games are a threat to competition, yet league executives partner with and promote the platforms that fuel gambling addictions. The NBA is closing in on a deal with a prediction market before the 2026-2027 season tips off, and the MLB already has a partnership with Polymarket.
All evidence points to gambling being harmful, and prediction markets are simply gambling with fewer restrictions and government interference.
This move makes James look like a total sell-out. Forbes estimates his net worth at well over $1 billion. He doesn’t need the money, and prediction markets being his newest business endeavor is a total betrayal. Don’t forget James publicly criticized sports betting in 2023 and argued it has “kind of taken some of the integrity out of the game.”
James doesn’t need a paycheck, and as the face of the league and role model, he has a responsibility to promote healthy habits and model ethical leadership. By partnering with an unregulated prediction market, he’s giving his personal stamp of approval to an unreliable and shady gambling platform that threatens the integrity of the NBA.
Abby Shriver is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Abby about their column? Email/message them at as064024@ohio.edu / @abbyshriver_
