Over/Under
Utah is all too familiar with gambling. We plan trips out to Wendover with the only intention to gamble. Las Vegas is also our backyard where we go for an escape full of entertainment and, well let’s face it, gambling.
There’s also a good chance that if you’ve never gambled out in Wendover, Vegas or another casino you’ve at least placed a friendly wager with a friend or co-worker on a game. We make bets on a daily basis, or at least I do.
If you’re tired of having to go out of state to place a bet, or if you’re tired of that one person who never pays up on a bet, I have some good news. NBA attorney Dan Spillane testified in front of a New York State Senate committee, today (Jan. 24th), on legalizing betting in the NBA.
ESPN Senior Writer, Brian Windhorst has all of the details. According to his sources, the NBA wants 1 percent of every bet made on its games in addition to other regulations, a request that could create massive revenue for the NBA and other sports leagues in the future. Spillane also said the NBA wants more widespread access to gambling for its fans, pushing for bets to be made legal on smartphones and kiosks and not just inside casinos and racetracks. That would increase the amount of wagering and, in turn, create more revenue for the league under its desired plan.
“We have studied these issues at length…Our conclusion is that the time has come for a different approach that gives sports fans a safe and legal way to wager on sporting events while protecting the integrity of the underlying competitions.”
The state of New Jersey currently has a case with the Supreme Court in hopes to pass a law which would legalize sports gambling. Depending on the outcome of this case, it would open the door to other states legalizing sports betting as well. Utah would probably be the last state to pass such a thing, but there’s still hope. However, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has made it clear in the past that he wants Congress to pass a national bill organizing sports gambling so that there are not different rules state-to-state.
According to ESPN, back in the fall of 2014, Silver penned an op-ed in the New York Times calling for the legalization of sports betting on a federal level.
“The laws on sports betting should be changed…I believe that sports betting should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight.”
NBA commish Silver on gambling: “My sense is the law will change in the next few years in the United States.”
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) July 18, 2017
NBA commish Silver: People want to bet throughout the game…It results in enormous additional engagement with the fans.
— John Ourand (@Ourand_SBJ) July 18, 2017
What this also means is that one day live betting will take place in the palm of your hand. An official app for the NBA or other sports, in general, will make watching games even that much more fun, or stressful. I can’t wait to be able to place a live bet on my phone during a timeout on who will take the last shot at the end of a game. Until then we can only hope.
