At what point does sports betting get out of hand? Our favorite— and wealthiest— celebrities are no strangers to betting big, especially when the stakes are high like during the NBA Finals. But for billionaire rapper Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, a recent loss might just serve as an expensive lesson.
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Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals was a nail biter. With the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers tied with one win each, Wednesday's (June 11) primetime matchup was the chance for one team to get the upper hand. According to reports, the Brooklyn rapper bet that the Thunder would pull off the win, but spoiler alert... they didn't. OKC lost to Indiana by nine points.
Now, it wouldn't be so bad if Jay placed a "light" bet— maybe a couple hundred or even a few thousand dollars on the NBA series. But no, the "Imaginary Players" artist put a whopping $1 million down on Oklahoma, Fanatics Sportsbook reported on June 5.
Carter originally bet the Thunder would win the series in just five games. Things started off shaky for Jay after the Pacers beat his chosen team by one point during Game 1. But quickly, his luck took a turn in Game 2 when the Thunder solidified a hefty win over their competitor.
His bet would have earned him a profit of $2.3 million, with a total $3.3 million payout, if the Thunder had won in five games. But oh, how the cookie quickly crumbles. Last night's match resulted in an official loss for Hov, but this obviously isn't the end of the world for the billionaire.
Last year, Jay officially entered the sports betting world when he joined co-founder and CEO of Fanatics Michael Rubin to open a betting location in Atlantic City, according to an Instagram post by Roc Nation. Since then, the two co-founders have opened up multiple locations across the states, most recently in Carter's hometown of New York City, according to Page Six.
Jay's not the only celebrity who has recently taken major L's in sports betting. Canadian rapper Drake is a well-known gambler, and just last month, he reportedly loss a $1 million dollar bet on a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game, according to the Mirror.
Just because Jay is out the game doesn't mean it's over for Oklahoma fans. The NBA Finals returns for Game 4 on Friday (June 13).
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