NBA commissioner Adam Silver hasn’t wavered in his stance on sports gambling.
Silver, who since last year has advocated for the legalization of sports betting, addressed the topic again Monday in an interview with WFAN’s “Boomer & Carton.”
“It’s good for business, I don’t want to hide from that,” Silver said. “Putting aside whether or not we’re actually actively involved in any of the betting, it creates more engagement. We all know as fans if you have, even like a gentleman’s bet or a $5 bet with your friend on a game, all of a sudden you’re a lot more interested.”
Gambling will happen with or without the professional leagues’ permission, Silver argued, noting that “between $300 and $400 billion” is wagered on spots each year. The commissioner also pointed to how the matter is handled in Europe, where sports betting is legal and policed by leagues and governing bodies.
“Because they have all that data, they’re able to monitor it,” Silver said. “And if there’s any irregular activity whatsoever, it’s like tracking insider trading on the New York Stock Exchange. If there’s a blip, if there’s unusual activity, they know to investigate. So first the issue for us is if all this betting is going to go on anyway, we should be able to monitor it. And then, No. 2, if all this betting activity is going to go on anyway, make it legal.”
Thumbnail photo via Richard Drew/Associated Press
