Proponents of legal sports betting have picked up an unlikely ally as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has come out supporting regulated sports betting in an opinion piece for the New York Times.
“I believe sports betting should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated,” Silver writes.
The opinion comes even as the NBA fights to block legal sports betting in New Jersey—along with the other major sports leagues and the NCAA. But the editorial also echoes comments Silver has made in the past, saying that he feels interest in sports betting helps the professional leagues.
In the editorial, Silver says sports betting has been around for decades and that it’s time to bring it out of the shadows and into the light where it can be regulated.
“Gambling has increasingly become a popular and accepted form of entertainment in the United States,” he said. “Most states offer lotteries. Over half of them have legal casinos. Three have approved some form of internet gambling, with others poised to follow.”
The NBA has joined with the other three major leagues—MLB, NFL and the NHL—along with the NCAA in opposing the spread of sports betting since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was passed in 1992. PASPA prohibits sports betting in every state except Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon.
New Jersey has challenged the federal ban, but has consistently lost in court. The state is currently trying another scheme to allow sports betting at casinos and racetracks by making sports betting an unregulated, privatized business. That case is again before a judge.
But Silver has suggested a federal framework that would permit states to legalize sports betting. He wrote that new regulations would help prevent underage betting while educating those with a gambling problem about how to bet responsibly.
The NBA has said officially it will continue to oppose moves like New Jersey’s without a federal framework in place.
“Without a comprehensive federal solution, state measures such as New Jersey’s recent initiative will be both unlawful and bad public policy,” Silver said.
Representatives for the other leagues also said they will continue to fight the expansion of sports betting.
Silver’s Times piece comes as the NBA has signed a sponsorship agreement with FanDuel, a website where fans can win money playing daily fantasy sports.
“There is an obvious appetite among sports fans for a safe and legal way to wager on professional sporting events,” Silver said. “I believe that sports betting should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated.”
Somewhat ironically, the NFL’s Washington Redskins have also announced a new marketing deal with daily fantasy sports provider FanDuel Inc. It’s the first marketing agreement for an NFL team with a fantasy sports provider.
FanDuel will be showcased in advertising at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, as well as on the team’s digital and social media platforms.
The NFL is the staunchest opponent of sports betting, but maintains that fantasy sports—which is seen as having spurred a surge of interest in the NFL—is not sports gambling and is rather a game of skill.
FanDuel has National Basketball Association team partnerships with the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls.
Silver, in his comments, pointed to illegal sports betting as a major problem calling it a “thriving underground business that operates free from regulation or oversight.”
He said any legal sports betting plan would need to be monitored, with reporting of unusual betting-line movements as well as verification that betting operators are legitimate and other regulatory measures.
One NBA team owner—Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban—supported Silver’s stance telling CBSsports.com that “Adam has it exactly right.”
“In the past for PR reasons, we have put up token resistance to them,” Cuban said. “I agree with Adam that now is the time to take sports betting out of the shadows and deal with it like the huge business it is.”
Silver’s comments were also quickly supported by Geoff Freeman, president of the American Gaming Association. Freeman said in a press release that that legal, regulated sports betting protects the integrity of casino games and those who bet.
“In some cases, sports books in Nevada have even notified the FBI of unusual betting activity on sporting events that have led to convictions on match fixing,” he said. “In the coming months, the AGA will be working to identify the size and scope of illegal gambling in the United States and what can be done to address the issue at a federal and state level. The gaming industry is committed to thwarting illegal gambling wherever it occurs, and we look forward to partnering with the NBA and others who share this goal.”
