ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes has publicly expressed her embarrassment for promoting Solitaire Cash, a mobile gaming app whose parent company is facing a lawsuit over deceptive practices.
The promotion followed a recent partnership between the app and Kimes’s colleague, Stephen A. Smith, who became the face of the game after he was seen playing it during an NBA playoff broadcast. ESPN personalities Dan Orlovsky and Kendrick Perkins also promoted the app on their social media accounts.
Papaya Gaming, the parent company of Solitaire Cash, is the target of a lawsuit alleging false advertising and the use of in-house bots to compete against human players between 2019 and 2023. The company’s motion to dismiss the case was denied, and it has reportedly dropped its factual dispute over the use of bots. The case now centers on Papaya Gaming’s claim that it never deceived users and that no harm was done. The company also states it has stopped pitting computer opponents against human players.
In a post on X, Kimes admitted that she did not properly vet the company before agreeing to the promotion.
“The truth is: I didn’t spend any time looking into the whole thing, and that’s 100% on me,” she wrote. “Thought it was just typical marketing work, and I’m deeply embarrassed I didn’t vet it. A colossal f—up on my part.”
Kimes added on the social media platform BlueSky that she had not been paid for the endorsement and that if she does receive compensation, she will donate it.
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