The three-time NBA champion was born in Bruges, Belgium to an American father and a Dutch mother but raised in France.

He began his professional basketball career in Paris and played with the French national team before joining the San Antonio Spurs in 2001.

The 27-year-old point guard won the NBA Finals MVP award in 2007 and married Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria in the same year.

Parker and Longoria have taken part in several high-profile poker charity poker nights over the past few years.

"A great adventure begins," said Parker. "BetClic is a leading company with big ambitions and I am very happy to contribute to its development in the sport during the coming years."

Created in 2005 by Nicolas Beraud, BetClic has risen to prominence in the European online gaming market over the past five years.

After signing former Team PokerStars Pro Isabelle Mercier in 2009, the company has made a push into the ever-growing European poker market purchasing both the Expekt and Everest Poker brands.

Now, the company is hoping that having a high profile star like Parker in an ambassador role will help it grow even further, particularly in France, where new legislation is expected to open up the French poker market.

"We are delighted to welcome Tony Parker in the team BetClic,"said Beraud. "He is a great ambassador for the brand. Tony represents the strong values of excellence and ethics in sports that we share. This new partnership reflects our commitment to continue our development in the sport by adding great champions to our team."

-With files from Fred G.