Stephen A., ESPN Personalities Promote Solitaire App Facing Lawsuit For 'Rigging' Games

Stephen A. Smith and several ESPN personalities spent the week promoting a solitaire app that’s currently facing a federal lawsuit for allegedly using bots to rig games. For context, Smith was caught playing solitaire during the NBA Finals in June, while serving as an in-arena game analyst on ABC’s halftime show. Turning that viral embarrassment into a marketing opportunity, Smith announced this week that Papaya Gaming had named him the official ambassador for its app, Solitaire Cash. "Solitaire cash games are a great way to win real money with a skill game. The process is easy and straightforward, making it perfect for those just starting out. Withdrawal of winnings are painless and quick, keeping the competition exciting and fresh! Here are some frequently asked questions relating to Solitaire Cash Games," the app’s website reads. Several of Smith’s ESPN colleagues joined in on the promotion, pretending to challenge him in social media posts. Among them: Dan Orlovsky, Mina Kimes, and Kendrick Perkins. Each post included #ad to indicate the sponsorship. Take a look: The campaign drew questioning this week from the sports media blog Awful Announcing, which asked, "Why are so many top ESPN personalities helping Stephen A. Smith promote a sketchy solitaire app?" Sketchy? According to Front Office Sports, "The much-publicized partnership with Smith was unveiled a few days after Papaya Gaming Ltd. suffered a significant setback in a lawsuit it has been fighting against competitor Skillz Platform Inc." The lawsuit claims Papaya falsely promoted its mobile games as "totally fair and skill-based" when, in reality, they were "rigged." "It is undisputed that Papaya used tailored bots to control the outcomes of tournaments," a New York judge wrote in an Oct. 27 opinion, via FOS. "By doing so, Papaya could prevent players from winning—or allow them to win—no matter how they performed in the game." Papaya issued the following statement to Poker Scout this week: "Papaya looks forward to vigorously proving in trial that Skillz’s misleading accusations against the company are false and unjustified. Papaya will continue to lead the industry with innovation while remaining focused on our mission to empower players with skill-based and fair competition." Elsewhere, ESPN is facing separate criticism for another social media campaign. Over the past week, multiple ESPN personalities asked their viewers to support their parent company, Disney, in its ongoing carriage dispute with YouTube TV – including, of course, Stephen A. "YouTube TV customers: You may lose access to First Take, CFB, NFL and NBA games on ESPN and ABC. Head over to http://keepmynetworks.com now so you don’t miss out," he posted on X last week. Put bluntly, it’s cringe to see television hosts making millions of dollars a year, in Smith’s case, around $20 million, asking ordinary viewers to take sides in a corporate feud between Disney and Google. Not to mention, if YouTube TV caves to Disney, it will likely result in ordinary viewers paying more for the service. That’s a lot of cringe. Stephen A. Smith has not addressed the controversy surrounding the partnership, a rarity for him.