Posted on: November 10, 2025, 09:09h.
Last updated on: November 10, 2025, 09:09h.
- Stephen A. Smith is endorsing a mobile gaming application known as Solitaire Cash
- There are allegations that Solitaire Cash employs bots to siphon winnings from players
- ESPN’s Mina Kimes has issued an apology for endorsing the skill-based game
Various ESPN figures are under scrutiny for promoting a real-money mobile gaming application that critics claim is manipulated.
Recently, Stephen A. Smith became a partner of Solitaire Cash and Papaya, an Israeli company that proclaims to run “skill-based” mobile games. Smith, the notable host of “First Take,” was observed playing solitaire on his phone during Game 4 of last year’s NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.
Papaya announced last week that Smith is their “official ambassador” for the debut World Solitaire Championship, expected to wrap up in Miami in February 2026. Players can qualify by engaging with Solitaire Cash, a free-to-play application that also allows real money head-to-head matches.
While Papaya’s announcement featured only Smith, other ESPN personalities, including Mina Kimes, Kendrick Perkins, and Dan Orlovsky, have promoted Solitaire Cash through social media platforms.
Kimes Issues Apology
Papaya Gaming, alongside its main rival, AviaGames, asserts that they facilitate head-to-head mobile skill competitions. In these cash games, the winner can claim their opponent’s stake by outplaying them.
Nonetheless, critics have contended that both Papaya and Avia utilize bots, creating an imbalance against genuine human competitors of comparable skills. Class-action lawsuits are currently challenging the companies, asserting that players are not contending solely against people, which skews the odds in favor of the gaming operators.
The ongoing debate compelled Kimes to extend an apology to her over 912K followers on X.
“The truth is: I failed to thoroughly investigate the entire situation, and that’s entirely on me,” Kimes expressed. “I believed it was standard marketing, and I’m truly ashamed I didn’t verify it. A significant misstep on my part.”
Kimes’ post has garnered over 6.3 million views. While she has retracted her social media posts of competing against Stephen A. in Solitaire Cash, Perkins has kept his up.
“Congratulations. I suppose this has made your day @stephenasmith, right? Savor this moment because this is the first and last time I’ll lose to you at @solitairecash. A shoutout to all the genuine winners out there… download, get involved, and #BeatStephen. Share your scores!” Perkins tweeted.
Orlovsky has also removed his promotional post for Solitaire Cash but has not provided any apology.
Ongoing Controversy
Casino.org has been covering controversies surrounding mobile skill gaming for several years. Skillz, a leading platform for developers and players, remains at the forefront, challenging companies like Papaya and AviaGames.
In 2024, Skillz was awarded nearly $43 million after a federal jury concluded that AviaGames had willfully violated Skillz’s patent to accelerate peer-to-peer matching. Avia claimed to have modified its platform to include previous plays from real players, termed “historical playthroughs,” where a live player competes against another who previously played.
Ongoing class-action lawsuits continue to allege that deceptive practices have misled consumers. Claims regarding bot usage persist against both Papaya and Avia.