NBA's Adam Silver says league needs to do a better job of warning young people about gambling
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver visited Las Vegas this week to attend the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) Conference at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.
While in Sin City, Silver spoke about his belief that professional sports leagues have a responsibility to educate young people about the potential dangers of participating in sports betting. During an interview with ESPN host Kendra Andrews, Silver was asked about a variety of topics, including the possibility of the NBA expanding the league to Southern Nevada.
But his most pointed remarks were directed at the continued growth of legal sports betting in the United States. Today, legal and regulated sports betting exists in more than 30 states.
Silver, a longtime supporter of legalizing sports betting, said the NBA and the other members of the four major leagues, the NFL, MLB and NHL, should focus more on educating the country's youth about sports betting.
I think these leagues have a responsibility to invest in more education, not just for our own players but for young people,” Silver said.
NBA chief expresses concern about problematic betting odds among college students. This view is shared by the public, with a recent Deloitte survey finding that nearly 60% of non-gambling players in the United States believe that the continued expansion and promotion of sports betting could have serious long-term effects.
Sports Betting Pioneer
For decades, the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL have fiercely opposed overturning the federal sports betting ban that restricted single-game betting in Nevada. However, this unwavering stance began to wane after Silver succeeded David Stern in 2014.
Silver argued in a New York Times editorial this year that legalizing sports betting and bringing it into the regulatory environment would benefit leagues, bettors and state governments.
“I believe sports betting should be brought out of the underground so that it can be properly monitored,” Stern wrote, marking the first time a Big Four accounting firm commissioner has expressed support for legal sports betting.
People want to place bets throughout the game. This resulted in a lot of interaction with the fans,” Silver added.
But Silver said this week that increased participation needs to be closely monitored to ensure the integrity of the game. Silver explained that the gambling industry already has many security measures in place to detect suspicious bets.
"There are very sophisticated algorithms that track this. If they see an unusual bet, you're going to get caught," Silver explained.
Extension Notes
Silver also impacted Las Vegas' chances of getting an NBA franchise. The basketball commissioner said the league will turn its focus to expansion once media rights negotiations are completed.
"Once these media deals are finalized, we will turn our attention to expansion," Silver said. "It's not a sure thing. But like I said before, I think it's natural for organizations to evolve over time. There's no question that the interest in this market (Las Vegas) is huge."
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Source: www.casino.org
