Mike Tyson and Rabona in Court Over a Talking Pigeons Livestream

In January 2024 Mike Tyson signed a $2 million deal to stream casino games for Rabona. Two months later he walked away. In October 2026 the company behind Rabona put him on trial at the High Court in London. His side blames a livestream called Talking Pigeons, with a presenter in a giant pigeon suit. The company blames a bigger payday: his Netflix fight with Jake Paul.

We read the trial reports, the 2024 coverage of the claim, Rabona’s own launch announcement and Tyson’s Instagram post of 5 February 2024. The court paragraphs below are what one side told the judge. The Instagram post, the Duel shift and the footer check are things we looked at ourselves. The judge has not ruled. Checked on 17 October 2026.

The deal: monthly streams and an Iron Bonus

Rabona named Tyson its brand ambassador on 6 February 2024. The plan was a monthly livestream on Rabona’s Twitch and Kick channels, with Tyson playing the casino’s games and telling stories from his career. The press release added that the deal was “subject to territorial restrictions”, so it was not meant for every country.

The day before that release, on 5 February 2024, Tyson posted the deal on Instagram. He told people to go to Rabona and claim his exclusive Iron Bonus. Launch coverage described the bonus as up to €100 back in bonus money if a new player’s first weekly bet lost.

“Big announcement! I am thrilled to start my partnership with Rabona for an epic year ahead! Join me now at Rabona.com, claim my exclusive IRON BONUS and enjoy the ultimate Sportsbook and Casino gaming experience. Let’s knock out some wins together!”

Mike Tyson, Instagram, 5 February 2024

We looked for that Iron Bonus on 17 October 2026 and could not find it. The same day rabona.com answered our visit with a country block, so the promotions page did not open for us either.

Rabona’s side: he left for the Netflix fight

The Paul fight was first set for 20 July 2024. Rabona’s contract had Tyson at a PR event at a gambling conference in Amsterdam on 16 to 19 July. Medier’s barrister, Ali Reza Sinai, says the Netflix deal limited other sponsors in the run-up to the fight. A casino event in Amsterdam in the week of the fight was a risk Tyson did not want to take, he argues.

Sinai called the Netflix deal “the elephant in the room”. In his account, Tyson skipped the agreed streams and ended the contract without proper notice.

“Thus the defendants simply lost interest in the service agreement once the more rewarding exhibition fight was firmly agreed.”

Ali Reza Sinai, for Medier, written submissions

The fight moved to November 2024. Paul won on points in Texas, live on Netflix. Medier’s side put Tyson’s purse at $15 million to $20 million, citing press reports. Medier wants its fees back plus damages.

Tyson’s side: the Talking Pigeons show

Tyson’s barrister, Amanda Hadkiss, says Rabona broke the deal first. The contract, she told the court, covered filming Tyson “playing in casino games” such as “slots poker roulette etc”, or other approved games on Rabona’s site.

What Medier sent was a show called Talking Pigeons. Four presenters, one of them dressed as a giant pigeon. Tyson would be beamed in by video link and read a script. He would answer questions and share childhood stories. Then he would teach the presenters to box on a mannequin with Evander Holyfield’s face, which they would punch. Only after all that would he play the casino games.

Hadkiss said this went “far beyond the scope of what might reasonably be considered to have even been required”. The defence adds two more points. Medier could not block the streams in the countries the deal named. And it sent press releases in the US, where, the defence says, it had no gambling licence.

Pigeons matter to Tyson. He has raced pigeons since he was a boy in New York, and he has said his first fight came after someone killed his pet pigeon.

“Goofy”: Lakiha Tyson on the stand

Tyson’s wife runs Tyrannic and gave evidence on 14 October 2026. She denied that the Netflix deal ended the Rabona one. The trouble, she said, was the blocked countries and the scripts, which she called “goofy” and wrong for her husband. She told the court they are not “super rich people” and would not have turned the money down without good reason.

How much was actually paid

The reports do not agree. One trial report says Tyrannic got nearly $190,000 of the $2 million before the split. Another says Medier paid Tyson $833,334 and wants it back. The claim papers, as reported in December 2024, put Medier’s losses at about 1.46 million euros. The judgment should settle the figures.

What Rabona’s footer shows

Most casinos put their licence at the bottom of the page. You see the regulator, the licence number and the company that runs the site. Rabona’s footer has none of that.

Here is what is there: links to the help centre, games, sports and the terms, Visa and Mastercard logos and an 18+ badge. There is no licence line and no company name.

If Rabona has a licence, hiding it looks bad. Players should not have to search for it. If there is no licence, the empty footer explains itself.

We could not check the rest of the site. On 17 October 2026 rabona.com showed us a country block, so this part is based on the footer screenshot.

Two years later: Tyson deals blackjack at Duel

The Rabona fight did not end Tyson’s casino work. On 14 and 15 June 2026 he sat in as a guest dealer at Duel Blackjack Live, the streamed blackjack table at the crypto casino Duel. The table takes bets from $25 to $100,000 a hand. Duel’s founder, Ossi Ketola, later called Tyson the most expensive guest the table has had. One report says Tyson also bet $10,000 at his own table and lost it.

Compare the two jobs. At Duel he dealt cards on a live stream. The Rabona contract, as his own lawyers describe it, only asked for him to be filmed playing. The Duel table has had its own troubles. It went dark in September 2026 and came back in October, as our post on the Duel Blackjack Live outage explains. Our Duel review covers the live table, the rakeback and the licence.

What happens next

The trial was due to end in the week of 12 October 2026. Mr Justice Richards will give his ruling later. On 17 October no judgment had been published. We will update this post when it is. It is not the only casino case in court this year. X is suing the company behind Duel in Texas, as our X Corp v. Immortal Snail post explains.

If a celebrity brings you to a casino

• A famous face says nothing about payouts. Read the licence, the terms and the withdrawal rules before you deposit.
• Check your country. “Subject to territorial restrictions” means some players are not allowed in. Find the country list first.
• Read the footer. A licence, a company name and an address belong there. The Rabona footer in this post shows none of those.
• Celebrity bonuses expire. Tyson advertised an Iron Bonus in February 2024. We could not find it on 17 October 2026. Read the promotions page that is live today.
• Deals end quickly. Tyson’s lasted about two months. Our story on Jack Doherty and Shuffle shows another creator deal with strange terms.
• Test the house yourself. Small deposit, small withdrawal, then decide. That is how we review every casino.

The Duel card in this post uses our partner link. Our money page explains how that works. Rabona and Duel had no say in this post. Quotes come from the barristers’ submissions and evidence as reported from the trial. The cover is an illustration made for this article.

FAQ

Why is Mike Tyson being sued?

Medier Ltd, the company behind Rabona, says Tyson broke a January 2024 sponsorship deal by skipping streams and ending it early. Tyson says Rabona broke it first by asking for a Talking Pigeons show the contract did not cover.

What is the Talking Pigeons show?

A livestream format with four presenters, one in a giant pigeon costume. Tyson was to read a script, share childhood stories and teach the presenters to box on a mannequin with Evander Holyfield’s face, then play casino games.

How much is Rabona claiming?

About 1.5 million euros. UK reports give it as £1.5m. Medier also wants back the fees it says it paid.

Has the court ruled?

Not yet. The trial was heard in October 2026 and no judgment had been published on 17 October.

Did Mike Tyson work as a casino dealer?

Yes, as a guest. He dealt at Duel Blackjack Live on 14 and 15 June 2026.

Does Rabona show a licence in the footer?

Not in the footer checked for this article. It shows terms, payment logos and an 18+ badge. It shows no licence, no company name and no address. That alone does not prove the casino has no licence.

One more thing: Mike and his pigeons

After all the court talk, something softer. Tyson has kept pigeons since he was a kid in New York, and there are lovely photos of a young Mike with his birds. The heavyweight champion of the world gently holding a pigeon is very sweet.

Maybe that was the real problem with the Talking Pigeons show. Mike likes his pigeons real, and he does not need anyone in a costume.

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