Ahead of the year’s biggest gambling event, FanDuel Group Chief Executive Amy Howe was spreading her message of confidence in the U.S. sports-betting industry in interviews with journalists.

Behind her, sports broadcaster Pat McAfee-whom the company is paying $120 million over four years to be its media star-appeared to be taking tequila shots with former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith on the FanDuel-branded stage at the crowded Super Bowl media center. When a journalist commented on Mr. McAfee’s good time, Ms. Howe laughed and said she thought he was just drinking ice tea.

Ms. Howe is a fan of Mr. McAfee, but the moment highlights her balancing act: Bringing FanDuel and sports gambling in the U.S. into business adulthood while maintaining its entertainment brand.