DraftKings Taps Kevin Hart, Nick Jonas for Road-Trip Commercial That Touts Wagering, Predictions
DraftKings has launched a major advertising campaign featuring Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas in a road-trip-themed commercial, part of a broader push to promote sports wagering and the company's newer prediction-market services across the United States. The campaign, developed with marketing agency Translation, aims to remind fans that DraftKings now operates nationwide rather than just in states where sports betting is legal, reflecting the growing role of prediction markets in the firm's business.
The advert will run throughout the NFL and NBA seasons, with additional creative planned featuring Chad Ochocinco and Carmelo Anthony, alongside local market promotions. DraftKings spent roughly $69.5 million advertising during NFL games and about $12.8 million during NBA games in 2025, according to ad-tracking firm iSpot, as it and rivals FanDuel and BetMGM compete for sports fans' attention. Sports betting remains prohibited in 11 US states, including California, Texas, Georgia and Minnesota, but DraftKings' chief marketing officer Stephane Sherman said prediction markets now let the firm reach consumers nationwide.
- DraftKings launches Kevin Hart and Nick Jonas road-trip advert campaign.
- Campaign runs through NFL and NBA seasons, plus local promotions.
- DraftKings spent $69.5m on NFL ads, $12.8m on NBA ads in 2025.
New here? Start with this
DraftKings is a US company known for online sports betting, where customers wager money on the outcome of sporting events. Such betting is legal in some states but remains prohibited in others, so companies’ ability to offer it depends on where customers live.
Prediction markets let people trade contracts linked to the chance of an event happening, including sports results. DraftKings and rivals such as FanDuel and BetMGM compete for sports fans through advertising, while rules on betting and prediction markets shape which services they can offer in each state.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters can argue the campaign makes DraftKings’ expanded services more visible to sports fans nationwide and uses familiar entertainers to make the product engaging. Prediction markets may offer adults another way to express views about sporting outcomes, while advertising helps a company compete in a crowded market and explain what it offers.
The case against
Critics can argue that celebrity-led, high-profile adverts risk making wagering seem like ordinary entertainment and may encourage excessive betting, including among people vulnerable to gambling harms. Promoting prediction markets nationwide while sports betting remains prohibited in some states may also blur distinctions between products and raise concerns about whether advertising is reaching consumers in places with tighter restrictions.
Art Celebrity Culture Elections Entertainment Music Politics