Proponents of legal sports betting in the U.S. have gotten some hope as two commissioners of major U.S. leagues—Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League—said recently they want to discuss the issue with their respective team owners and formulate new stances.
While that hardly translates into support for sports betting, it comes after National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver has called for legal, regulated sports betting saying it would generate interest in his league.
Rob Manfred, MLB’s new commissioner, told ESPN that he’s open to Major League Baseball considering a new approach to legalized gambling.
Manfred told ESPN’s Outside the Lines that, “It’s important for baseball to give fresh consideration to the issue,” Manfred said to ESPN’s Outside the Lines.
“Nobody’s talking about a situation where anyone, any way involved with the play of the game on the field would be subject to rules different than they are today. The ban on that type of involvement would stay in place,” he said. “Having said that, gambling in terms of our society has changed its presence. And I think it’s important for there to be a conversation between me and the owners about what our institutional position will be.”
Manfred said that he can’t announce a policy until speaking with owners, but felt the league would probably support—or at least not oppose—any federal legislation that would allow sports betting beyond the four states that can now legally offer forms of sports betting. Nevada, however, is the only state with a true sports book.
Meanwhile, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said something similar at a Las Vegas event about the position on gambling of the NHL. With Las Vegas seeking an NHL franchise, the issue could fall into the league’s lap and require the league to re-analyze its stance, he said.
Still, he did not give signs a change in stance was forthcoming.
“We’re not as big a factor in betting as football or basketball,” said Bettman. “We’re in such a preliminary stage that it’s not something that we have needed to focus on.
The NBA’s Silver caused a stir last year in an op-ed piece for the New York Times where he came out in favor of legalized betting. Silver maintained that it would take sports betting out of the shadows and could generate more interest in the NBA.
He has since said that he has talked to the commissioners of other leagues about the issue, saying that they at least said they want to better understand the issue. He did not name the commissioners he’s spoken to, but noticeably absent in these developments is anything from the National Football League, which has always staunchly opposed sports betting.
Silver, however, has said that he wants to see a national approach to sports betting.
“It’s my personal view that there should be federal legislation on this issue, in part to avoid what is happening now,” Silver told ESPN. “My greatest concern is that there will be in essence a hodgepodge of regulations controlling sports betting that will vary from state to state, jurisdiction to jurisdiction and will make it increasingly difficult to monitor betting on our very own sport.”
New Jersey continues to fight in court to allow sports betting. Its latest attempt to circumvent a national ban on sports betting goes to court next month. The state’s move is being challenged by all four major professional leagues—including the NBA—as well as the NCAA.
The state’s congressional delegation has also introduced two federal bills designed to allow sports betting. One would exempt New Jersey from the sports betting ban while the other would open up the exemption to any state wishing to implement sports betting in a four-year window.
Meanwhile, Minnesota State Rep. Phyliss Kahn announced she will introduce a bill in that state’s legislature to legalize sports betting there. If the bill passes, she hopes the state will join in the fight to overturn the federal ban.
A previous bill from Kahn on sports betting failed in Minnesota, however.
