Ben Affleck Stars in WynnBET Spot, Cameos from Shaq, Jennifer Lopez Mom

Posted on: August 30, 2021, 02:43h. 

Last updated on: August 30, 2021, 03:05h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

WynnBET launched its national advertising campaign this week, and it isn’t short on celebrity appearances.

WynnBET Ben Affleck Shaq sports betting
Ben Affleck, Shaquille O’Neal, and Melvin Gregg star in the first commercial campaign for WynnBET. The interactive sports betting platform is yet another iGaming provider that is using high-profile celebrities to advertise its gambling services. (Image: WynnBET)

The interactive gaming platform owned and operated by Wynn Resorts debuted its sports betting campaign online with an advertising spot that runs 2:20 long. A-lister Ben Affleck, no stranger to Las Vegas or card clubs in Southern California, directed and stars in the promo.

The 2:20 extended cut will be edited and broken down into several shorter 30- and 60-second television commercials that will air in the states where WynnBET is operational. Currently, the iGaming platform is licensed in seven states — Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia. WynnBET is live in each state other than Arizona, where sports betting is expected to commence online on September 9.

WynnBET says its association with Affleck isn’t a one-time thing. Instead, the sportsbook explains that the two-time Oscar winner will continue his WynnBET relationship as a strategic consultant.

WynnBET Spot

The full WynnBET commercial features Affleck and his The Way Back film co-star Melvin Gregg arriving on the Las Vegas Strip and planning their bets. Affleck, long a Boston-obsessed sports fan since growing up in nearby Cambridge, MA, wants to wager on his hometown team.

While walking the Wynn casino floor, random people approach the actor to give him unsolicited wagering advice, including NBA Hall of Fame member Shaquille O’Neal — more commonly referred to as Shaq.

Speaking of nicknames, Lupe Lopez, the mother of Jennifer Lopez — aka J. Lo — makes an appearance playing slot machines. Affleck and Lopez recently rekindled their high-profile relationship.




Wynn Bets on A-List

Wynn Resorts follows rival Caesars Entertainment in hiring celebrities to market its expanding sports betting unit.

Earlier this month, the Caesars Sportsbook unveiled a national ad campaign starring actors JB Smoove and Patton Oswalt. Smoove plays a fictional Caesars character, while Oswalt introduces him to the Caesars online sportsbook.

The two comedians, whose careers are a far cry from Affleck’s and Shaq’s, haven’t exactly resonated with Casino.org readers. Our site has received a flurry of comments — mostly negative — on Caesars’ marketing strategy.

These are the most annoying and cringe-worthy commercial I’ve been assaulted with in recent memory,” opined one Casino.org follower. “Fire the advertising company.”

Another reader exclaimed, “This ad hits an all-time low. It is loud and obnoxious and hardly gets across its connection to the [sports betting] product. I ‘bet’ that even people who engaged in betting will steer clear of this site just from the horrible memories left over from this stupid commercial.”

WynnBET is hoping for a more positive response from its Affleck-led commercials.