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» Gambling in sports ‘inevitable, says Silver

Natalie Serafini
Editor-in-Chief

» Mi editor

fz @theotherpress.ca

  

ambling in sports is

frowned upon—in that
betting on teams is extremely
regulated, despite the fact that
making high-risk/high-re-
ward predictions is, for many,
part of the appeal of sports.
Adam Silver, commissioner
of the National Basketball
Association (NBA), has spoken
out on the inevitability of
sports gambling outside of the
already liberalized Nevada.

“It’s inevitable that, if all
these states are broke, that
there will be legalized sports
betting in more states than
Nevada and we will ultimately
participate in that,” said Silver.

A federal law on sports

: gambling has remained largely
: unchallenged since 1992:

: betting on sports is outlawed

: except in Nevada, Delaware,

: Montana, and Oregon. Some

: states have attempted to chal-

: lenge the ban on bets, with New :
: Jersey attempting to appeal

: the laws in 2013/14, but the US

: Supreme Court refused to con-
: sider New Jersey’s challenge.

: NJ.com reports that, with 55

: per cent of New Jersey citizens

: in favour of being able to bet,

: “the federal ban violates states’
: rights.” With so many citizens

: in support of some vested

: interest, I’d say the ban also

: infringes on individuals’ rights.

The ban on sports gam-

: bling seems to bea stubborn

: law that’s stuck around out of
: longevity—the 1992 federal

: banis older than I am—and it

: has ludicrous consequences.

: From lifetime bans on athletes
: who participate in gambling

: (like the ongoing 25-year ban

: of baseball player Pete Rose),

: to the loss of profits that

: could be made, or the lack of

regulation due to the under-

: ground nature of gambling

: rings, the laws need to change.
: The government should be

: interested in loosening its

: hold on gambling laws, if

: only so it can better-control

: gambling’s place in society.

Of course the NBA has an

: interest in looser gambling
: laws, with the potential for

: greater engagement from

: fans. As Silver said, “If you

: havea gentleman’s bet ora

: small wager on any kind of
: sports contest, it makes you
: that much more engaged in
: it. That’s where we're going

: tosee it pay in dividends. If

: people are watching a game

: and clicking to get on their

: smartphones, which is what

: people are doing in the United
: Kingdom right now, then it’s

: much more likely you're going
: to stay tuned for along time.”

Gambling puts asses in the

: seats; more importantly, it gets
: the money flowing. Of course

: sports betting encourages

: financial exchange amongst

: the gamblers, but it also

: creates potential for advertising :
: (whether through athlete

: campaigns, or through adver-

: tising during the game), and for
: greater innovation. Websites

: and apps could be developed,

: dedicated to facilitating

: betting, and making it funner.

: Watching the game with your

: friends becomes more of an

: event, as the stakes are raised

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: and the competition is more

: bittersweet. Beer—already a

: staple for watching the game—
: either becomes a victory drink
: or ananodyne for defeat.

Those in favour of pro-

: hibition will likely see looser

: gambling laws as a gateway

: to self-destruction. First

: you start off with some light

: gambling, then suddenly youre
: analcoholic ina crack den.

: Realistically though, gambling
: laws would do little to make

people more self-destructive;

: in fact, taking the bets out

: from the underground would

: bring it into the public eye

: and regulation. Of course

: there will be those who take it

: too far, but there are already

: those who take it too far, and

: self-moderation is an individu-
: al’s right and responsibility. Bet
: responsibly, but raise your chip.