What are we talking about this week?
Mike Tyson, a giant pigeon costume and an online casino.
Say that again
You heard right. Boxing legend and former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson is being sued by Rabona online casino’s owner, Medier Ltd, for an alleged breach of a marketing contract.
Where does the pigeon come into it?
Well, Merdier reportedly signed a deal with Tyson and his promotional company Tyrannic to appear in commercials, and they are said to have asked him to appear in an advert alongside four other presenters, one of whom would be dressed as a giant pigeon.
He wouldn’t do that, would he?
No, after being asked to give the pigeon a boxing lesson, the boxer’s lawyers argued that the scope of this advert fell outside the remit of his contract.
Does Rabona agree?
Have you met the gambling industry?
Good point
The operator is claiming that Tyson failed to meet the demands of his marketing contract, and Tyson is now being sued for $1.5m.
Is there more to this?
Yes, Rabona has said that Tyson lost interest in the commercial partnership after being offered an estimated $20m to fight Jake Paul in an exhibition that took place in 2024.
Neither dealing with the circus surrounding Jake Paul nor teaching a pigeon to box sounds enjoyable, but it’s certain that one paid far more.
Another thing, what is Rabona?
Good question. Not a lot is known about Rabona, and there is no mention of a licence on its website, despite various casino comparison sites claiming it holds licences in either Anjouan or Curaçao.
Right. But even for the gambling industry, this is strange.
I guess, but only a couple of weeks ago Winning Lines covered the story that the crypto casino BetBolt claimed it won a £1.2m auction to name the newborn baby of the adult star Bonnie Blue.
The Winning Line?
Honestly, it’s the fact that you never know what’s going to happen next in the gambling industry.
In this new world of marketing where viral success on social media is a legitimate way to break into the mainstream, gambling advertising is becoming increasingly outlandish, and possibly unhinged, chasing that viral moment.
In terms of the case, it’s hard to say whether it will reach court or if both parties will reach a settlement before that point.
