Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints
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Legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees faked being struck by lightning as part of a publicity stunt for betting company PointsBet.
A video clip posted on Twitter On Friday, Breeze showed up filming a commercial for PointsBet in Catatumbo, Venezuela, a region known for lightning strikes, when a bolt apparently struck him and shut down production.
By Friday afternoon, it had been viewed more than one million times.
Breeze confirmed in A later video That’s perfectly fine and “buzzing” about the sportsbook’s latest offering which includes its “lightning bets,” which allow users to place in-game bets.
The stunt comes as online sportsbooks gain popularity and fight for customers.
“It’s definitely a blow, literally and figuratively,” said Patrick Richey, director of the sports business program at Washington University in St. Louis. “I would say it’s probably one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made as a public figure.”
Riche said it was clear that Pointsbet had tried to do something extraordinary to attract attention in the online sports betting market, which is dominated by draft kings and FanDuel, “But boy, this really feels like it’s crossing the line.”
A rep for Breeze did not respond for comment. Breeze is an ambassador for Pointsbet, which trades on the Australian Stock Exchange and has operations in the United States, Canada and Ireland.