(NewsNation Now) — Legendary NFL quarterback Joe Namath praised legal sports betting, but acknowledged it won’t be good for everyone.
The former Alabama and New York Jets quarterback, who famously guaranteed his underdog Jets would beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, said people need to speak up when they’re in trouble.
“You got to reach out for help,” Namath said Monday on “The Donlon Report.” “If you have a drinking problem, you need guidance. Please go get guidance. If you have an addiction problem to gambling, recognize it. Please reach out and get some help. You gotta understand, man … we all need help from time to time.”
Namath opened up about his own addiction struggles in 2019 when he released his book, “All the Way: My Life in Four Quarters.” He said he had not had a drink since he drunkenly told an ESPN reporter in 2003 he wanted to kiss her.
Namath was featured in a DraftKings commercial that aired during the Super Bowl. It featured video of his guarantee, as well as video of him getting in a fancy car saying “hello, fortune.”
“The gambling is good. I’m glad it’s legal these days,” Namath said. “Make it legal and help the people that do have addictions.”
PlayUSA expected $1 billion in legal Super Bowl wagers on Sunday’s game. In 2021, betting was legal in 17 jurisdictions. Legal betting in New York State, which includes the biggest city in the country, just came online this year.