New York (AFP)
Former American basketball player Michael Jordan, now owner of the Charlotte Hornets NBA team, has taken a stake in the betting platform DraftKings, of which he will become the advisor, the company announced on Wednesday.
Created in 2012, DraftKings was initially specialized in virtual sports games, known as fantasy sports, before entering sports betting in 2018 thanks to changes in legislation.
The Supreme Court of the United States having, in fact, authorized, in 2018, the states to legalize sports betting, the sector has exploded.
According to the Legal Sports Betting website, some $ 13 billion was legally wagered in the United States on sporting events in 2019.
The coronavirus pandemic has only been a hiccup in the development of this industry, which has taken off again since June.
As part of the agreement announced Wednesday, Michael Jordan will take a stake in DraftKings, in return for his role as strategic advisor to the group's directors, according to a statement.
Asked by AFP for the amount of this participation, DraftKings did not respond.
Long opposed to the very principle of sports betting and at the origin of their ban in 1992, the major American professional sports leagues have changed their position in recent years.
Several have even entered into partnerships with players in the world of sports betting, notably the NBA and DraftKings.
DraftKings went public in April through a fast-track process.
The title has since doubled in value.
Thanks to the announcement of the partnership with Michael Jordan, the action, listed on the US Nasdaq Stock Exchange, soared on Wednesday.
It was up 8.07% to $ 39.91 around 7:00 p.m. GMT.
Six times NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, inspirer of the Air Jordan sneaker line from Nike, owner of the Charlotte Hornets, Michael Jordan is more than ever one of the most prominent personalities in the world of sport.
© 2020 AFP