David Stern, the former commissioner of the North American NBA basketball league, has backed calls from his successor Adam Silver to introduce a more widespread legalised sports betting market in the US.
Silver last year spoke out on a number of occasions in support of regulated sports betting in the country, stating in September that the introduction of such a service was “inevitable” due to struggling state budgets and a wider acceptance of gambling by US citizens.
In an opinion piece in US newspaper the New York Times in November, Silver said that the country could take advantage of an estimated $400 billion (€338.6 billion) that is currently being spent on illegal sports wagering activities across the country.
Silver has also mooted a possible partnership with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in a quest to legalise sports betting in the US, with the politician having been frustrated so far in his efforts to launch a legalised service in his own state.
Speaking to CNBC about the issue, Stern backed Silver’s ongoing efforts and said a regulated service could offer many benefits to the US.
“Once daily fantasy became an acceptable exception to the law against gambling, I think that’s gambling, so now I think the best approach would be, as Adam Silver has advocated, is for there to be federal regulation,” Stern said.
“Bring the sports leagues in. If it’s going to happen, because it has happened anyway by justice department rulings and the like, you should make it legal and you should regulate it as tightly as you possibly can.”
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
