The National Basketball Players Association has put the possibility of more legal sports betting in the U.S. up for discussion with NBA players.
The association’s executive director, Michele Roberts told ESPN in an interview that while the association has not announced a formal position on sports betting, it has been exploring the issue.
“Everyone has known for years that there is a ton of money being made that’s not being enjoyed, frankly, by the people who are creating the games, both the owners and the players,” Roberts said.
The statement comes after NBA commissioner Adam Silver came out in support of a national legalization of sports betting. Silver feels sports betting will benefit the league, but has called for a federal framework that would allow states to adopt laws to legalize sports betting.
Nevada is currently the only U.S. state legally allowed to offer a full sports book under a federal ban on sports betting.
Roberts said she has not spoken with Silver about sports betting. She also acknowledged that there are problems that surround sports betting, but said she is open to looking at ways for the league to profit.
“And so if there’s a way—and I haven’t talked to Silver about this, either—to funnel what is otherwise income that should be enjoyed by the folks who are creating it, in a way that doesn’t harm the game, then I frankly don’t see any reason why we can’t explore it,” Roberts said. “I know all the negatives that up to today have kept gambling outside of the realm of what is appropriate in terms of sports. But let’s not ignore the big elephant in the room. There’s a lot of money being made. “
