Silver is getting credit for being ahead of the curve when it comes to preparing for pro gamblingNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The NBA's deal with MGM Resorts Int'l being announced "with such fanfare Tuesday is arguably little more than a branding exercise -- at least for now -- and a chance to take baby steps into a sports betting partnership that would have been almost scandalous only a few years ago," according to Tim Dahlberg of the AP. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver deserves "credit" because he "realized early on that legalized sports betting was an opportunity for the league, not something to fear." He "quickly found the perfect partner in MGM, which might have some ulterior motives of its own." The company "wants an NBA team for its new arena on the Las Vegas Strip" (AP, 8/1). In L.A., Kevin Armstrong writes Silver has "long been ahead of the curve when it comes to preparing for the legalization of professional sports gambling" (L.A. TIMES, 8/2).
MORE POSITIVES OF THE DEAL: MGM Resorts Chair & CEO Jim Murren said, "It would be highly plausible that an NBA team would like to relocate to what’s becoming one of the sports capitals of the U.S. But this was not a precondition of doing (the agreement). I have no illusions that it is. ... If a team in the league felt being in Las Vegas would be a benefit to the league, I think that would happen. I frankly think it will happen. It’s a pretty fun place to watch sports. And I’d welcome that. We built the arena to house that." He added, "We built T-Mobile (Arena) to be pro ready for basketball" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 8/2). Murren said he and Silver "don't have all the answers yet." Sports gambling in the U.S. is an "emerging field, but we have trust in each other and we have the same goal, which is the integrity of the game" ("The Dan Patrick Show," 8/1). Murren noted the NBA will "not be the only league that will likely want to partner" with companies like MGM. He said his company is "very active in discussions with all the majors leagues and some of the other leagues as well." Meanwhile, he said the U.S. is "really in the second or third grade in terms of how betting is conducted" during sporting events. Murren said the recent World Cup showed that the "vast majority of the betting" happens during the game. Murren: "We don't have ... the level of sophistication that exists in the in-game betting analytics in the United Kingdom" ("Golic & Wingo," ESPN Radio, 8/2).
