Wizards and Capitals Owner Ted Leonsis believes NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's stance on sports betting "is spot on." Leonsis said, "I think we're living in this real-time, technical trading world and that there's so much betting that goes on (with) this first iteration that we're seeing with the DraftKings kind of phenomenon and this daily interactive gaming." He added, "But it makes sense. You can have your wallets on your phone. People now are going to start to make wagers in a real-time way. I think (Silver's) going to make a pass instead of take the shot and you'll be able to instantly move money back and forth. It's better to get out in front of it. The consumer is going to do what the consumer is going to do. We have to make sure that it's managed the right way, but I do think it was smart to get in front of it and not bury in the sand and say, 'It's not going to happen'" ("SI Now," SI.com, 4/17).
SILVER LINING: In Chicago, Phil Rosenthal wrote the NBA “likes to think of itself as a global league and gambling on sports is a reality in much of the world.” The league also has “considered a Las Vegas franchise” and last fall “telegraphed its evolving stance when it entered a partnership with FanDuel.” What makes Silver's “pivot interesting is that basketball historically has been especially vulnerable to manipulation by gambling interests.” But Silver argues that “bringing the bookmaking operations out in the open would better expose betting irregularities” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/18).
