Adam Silver looking to legalize sports betting in America

While his predecessor David Stern could probably be classified as strict, in his short time as NBA commissioner, Adam Silver has already proved progressive. He is unafraid of changes to the existing institution, and is a stanch supporter of his own beliefs. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Silver is the commissioner interested in pioneering legalized sports betting.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Silver said he has approached other commissioners about the legalization of sports gambling in the United States.

“I have talked to the commissioners in the other leagues about it,” Silver said to ESPN in reference to legalizing sports betting. “I leave it to them to make any public statements they want to make on it. I will say that certainly all of them are interested in having a better understanding of the uses, and I know they have assigned people in their organizations to study intensively the issue as well.”

Image from ESPN

According to ESPN, there have been private meetings between council for the leagues to discuss the pros and cons of legalization, in addition to the conversations between the commissioners. The amount of support that the idea is receiving from the other leagues is uncertain, as Silver is the first, and so far only, commissioner to publicly voice support. Silver said he does have the support of owners in his own league however:  

“Some of our owners are also owners in other leagues, so it’s something that they also want to talk to the commissioners in the other leagues about. I think most of our owners’ view on the issue is that they’re comfortable with us taking a leadership position on the issue, but again are also mindful that it is a complex issue, and is one that will ultimately require a legislative remedy, and not one that is necessarily at the top of their to-do-list, in terms of active lobbying.”

Silver’s pitch is based on federal legalization, rather than the ‘hodgepodge of regulations’ that comes with state-by-state legalization, and obviously motivated by potential profits for the league.

Such a proposition is sure to face detractors, as well its share of supporters, and it is yet to be seen if such an idea is fully feasible. But with Adam Silver leading the charge, this is not likely to be the last we hear on the topic.