Sydney Sweeney's racy new ad has people talking. The bigger controversy is what she's selling.

Sydney Sweeney is facing scrutiny yet again for appearing nude in a commercial for Novig , a sports trading app and prediction market. But she's just one more celebrity getting heat for using their image to promote these platforms.

The new Novig ad features Sweeney posing nude with a variety of sports equipment covering herself. It's a play on the fact that, unlike other prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi, Novig — which launched nationwide last month — is only about betting on sports, not world events, politics, or "wars or deaths" as Sweeney says in the ad.

"Think you know sports? Prove it. Novig is just sports. So they wanted to show just sports," Sweeney says in the ad while perched atop a basketball hoop naked to seemingly show how stripped down Novig is.

Given the scrutiny Sweeney has received in the past over her ads for American Eagle jeans and soap made from her "used bathwater," it may come as no surprise that the Euphoria actor is once again raising eyebrows. In comments on her Instagram page , Sweeney was criticized for using her body to promote the prediction market.

"This is sad at this point," one person wrote. "Can't sell or be a normal girl if she doesn't use her body as a tool. Sexualizing sports like this is crazy."

"Her whole career is focused on the male gaze," wrote another.

"And they say don't objectify women," a third noted. "This is so demeaning to every woman, plus the ad makes no sense at all."

Sweeney's naked body wasn't the only thing to receive blowback. Others also criticized her for her role as a strategic partner and equity investor in Novig.

"Selling your soul to the gambling companies is very on-brand Sydney," one person wrote.

Another added: "Betting on sports is politics. It's a control mechanism."

Celebrities appearing in ads for betting platforms and prediction markets have become quite common — but not without controversy. Nick Jonas and Kevin Hart recently starred in a commercial together for DraftKings , for example. "Disappointing to see you support a gambling app," one person wrote on Jonas's Instagram post featuring his partnership.

Meanwhile, Timothée Chalamet faced heat when he appeared in a commercial for Kalshi , particularly in the wake of a controversy over allegations that the prediction market allowed users to place placed on the death of Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Kalshi has stated it does not allow bets on death .)

Recently, influencer Amanda Hirsch apologized for promoting her Polymarket partnership on TikTok in a post about the outcome of the Lindsay Clancy trial after significant backlash.

"Posting about the Lindsay Clancy trial in the same breath as a brand partnership was completely insensitive, wrong, and out of character for me — I should have known better, and I feel sick that I didn't see that in the moment," Hirsch said in a statement. "I became so consumed by the trial that I completely lost perspective and didn't stop to think about how grossly inappropriate it was to discuss something this tragic in that context."

Why celebrity endorsements of prediction markets matter

The popularity of prediction markets has exploded in recent years, particularly among younger Americans who are spending more and more time and money on these platforms. A recent Betterment survey found that 52% of Gen Z investors had redirected money intended for investing toward sports betting over the past year. More than a quarter considered sports betting a deliberate part of their long-term financial strategy.

But some online sports bettors report potentially harmful behaviors and negative feelings. A 2026 Siena College/St. Bonaventure University survey found that 60% of online sports gamblers had chased their losses by placing larger bets. Meanwhile, 43% had felt bad or ashamed after losing and 42% believed they had bet more than they should.

Celebrities, however, can make these platforms more enticing. According to a January 2026 poll from YouGov , 42% of people who gamble at least monthly said celebrity ads made them view the advertised gambling brand positively. And more than 4 in 10 of those monthly gamblers said a celebrity endorsement made them more likely to consider using the brand.

Jeff Edelstein , a senior analyst at InGame, which covers sports betting and prediction markets, told Yahoo that getting celebrity endorsements in gambling is nothing new. He pointed to gambling conglomerate Caesars Entertainment as one example, noting the company used stars like the Manning family to advertise its online sports betting platform, Caesars SportsBook.

"Prediction markets are now going down the same path with the idea that having that celebrity endorser will move the needle," Edelstein said. "It may, it may not, but prediction markets are certainly having their moment right now, especially when it comes to sports. With the kickoff of football season, it's what some are calling a 'gold rush.' They're flush with money and looking to get as much market share as they can — so you hire a celebrity or two to help you out."

Celebrities, however, can help present these companies as they wish to be seen. According to Edelstein, that includes being positioned as a "financial product" that encourages "trading" instead of "betting." In the ad for Novig, Sweeney uses the term "bet" only in reference to what other markets do, he noted.

"They will go to the ends of the earth to tell you they're not betting," he explained. "We could debate that for a very long time. The Supreme Court will have the final say, I imagine."

Celebrities receive backlash for these endorsements because gambling is the "sin du jour," Edelstein said. However, he pointed out that very few stars get the same criticism for promoting alcohol products, despite the fact that, like gambling, alcohol is addictive.

"You're not going to see many celebrities outside of maybe Snoop Dogg doing marketing for a marijuana firm," Edelstein said. "But you will in 20 years, when the sin wears off it."