All of the major North American sports leagues, including the NBA, blocked New Jersey’s plan to legalize sports betting. But NBA commissioner Adam Silver still thinks it should eventually happen, and on a national scale.
Silver reaffirmed his support for legalizing sports betting in a New York Times op-ed Thursday, writing that it will continue to exist illegally and without government regulation regardless of what the law says. He had previously stated in September that legalization is “inevitable.”
“Despite legal restrictions, sports betting is widespread,” Silver wrote. “It is a thriving underground business that operates free from regulation or oversight. Because there are few legal options available, those who wish to bet resort to illicit bookmaking operations and shady offshore websites.
“There is no solid data on the volume of illegal sports betting activity in the United States, but some estimate that nearly $400 billion is illegally wagered on sports each year.”
The general complaint against legalized sports betting is that there’s a chance it will encourage people to fix games. However, Silver pointed out that the system works in other countries without a problem, as long as it’s regulated.
“Let me be clear: Any new approach must ensure the integrity of the game,” Silver wrote. “One of my most important responsibilities as commissioner of the NBA is to protect the integrity of professional basketball and preserve public confidence in the league and our sport. I oppose any course of action that would compromise these objectives.
“But I believe that sports betting should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated.”
Photo via Russ Isabella/USA TODAY Sports Images
