Sports betting will be legal in the US in “the next few years” according to NBA chief Adam Silver.
The North American basketball league’s commissioner has long been a proponent of legalising sports betting, and he went so far as to write an opinion piece for the New York Times on the subject in November 2014.
Now, in an interview with Sport Business Journal, Silver said he believes that demand across the country will lead to the end of laws that prohibit sports betting in all but four states.
“My sense is the law will change in the next few years in the United States,” he said.
“People want to bet throughout the game. It results in enormous additional engagement with the fans.”
In June, the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal from the state of New Jersey regarding the legalisation of betting on professional and college sports at casinos and racetracks.
Despite Silver’s support, the NBA is part of a group, which includes the other major sports leagues in the US, that oppose New Jersey’s legislation and have twice sued the state to prevent its implementation.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) recently rolled out a new campaign in an effort to convince the US government to lift a federal ban on sports betting.
The AGA joined several other gaming organisations in calling for an end to the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection (PASPA) and, as part of this effort, launched the American Sports Betting Coalition (ASBC).
The AGA said the ASBC will lead an “all-inclusive advocacy campaign” focused on ending the ban, with backing from parties pushing for wider regulation of sports betting in the US.
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
