Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner, was among those who dared to tell their opinion about the sports betting legislation. He had no hesitations in confirming that he supports the proposal.
The main reason why Silver took the decision to defend the legislation procedure was that he was convinced that no matter if it is legal or not, players bet anyway. What is more, the fact that they take part in illegal betting activities does not bother them too much. However, if legalized, sports wagering is expected to bring huge revenues and stabilize the economy.
Yet, Silver admitted that sports betting legislation has its disadvantages as well.
The legislation procedure met the opposition of four sports leagues that did their best to prevent the legislation with the aim of protecting the integrity of sports games.
Those, who have enough knowledge of the matter, warned NBA not to neglect such kind of concerns.
Silver went even further and said that sports betting activities are really popular outside the US. He gave the UK as a vivid example. Apart from having conveniently located specialized kiosks, UK-based players are enabled to make bets via their tablets and smartphones, too.
However, there is another side of the coin. Although there are people who make bets, regardless of their legitimacy, a great part of the residents deter themselves from participating in illegal betting activities. When sports betting becomes legal, the number of people to make bets will definitely grow.
In addition, media will be flooded with advertising materials, which will contribute to the spread of sports betting and endanger the vulnerable part of the society.
Statistics show that more than half of the young people have already taken part of online sports betting activities. Reports, released by the National Council on Problem Gambling, notify about an alarming tendency. More than 80% of students in high school have been involved in gambling for money.
Once sports wagering is legalized, more an more people will be eager to try their luck, which might lead to devastating results.
Having said that, Silver did not give up on supporting the legislation. He is convinced that it will not create chaos or complicated gambling addiction issues, provided that all regulatory and technological measures are taken by authorities.
However, some people suspected that there is an underlying reason behind Adam Silver’s standpoint. Although he announced that his goal is improving the situation with sports gambling affairs, some sports fans claim that his top priority is using the sports betting legislation as a tool for making more people interested in NBA matters.
