The Marriage of Sports and Gaming

In the past week, two news items piqued my interest regarding the legalization of a national sports betting platform. One was a statement issued by Adam Silver, Commissioner of the +NBA. He was recently being interviewed in +ESPN, The Magazine and stated that he was engaged in discussions with other owners about the possibility of allowing wagering on NFL,MLB and NHL games. Here is a quote from that interview.

 

Silver says, "I have talked to the commissioners in the other leagues about it, and I leave it to them to make any public statements they want to make on it. I will say that certainly all of them ... have assigned people in their organizations to study the issue intensively."

 

 

This is not the 1st time Silver has mention his interest in expanding the reach of the game into casinos and betting establishments. This is a sign that he is definitely serious about what his agenda to transition sports to fit the new wave of fans. A national platform will be easier to monitor and regulate. Traditional gambling sites with brand names could introduce a product  that is socially acceptable but largely illegal. It will also provide a revenue that is currently not being tax to help fund programs that we are in need of.
 

 

 

The second statement was issued by Senator John McCain, from the State of Arizona. Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.), speaking on "Capital Games" with ESPN's Andy Katz and ABC's Rick Klein, said Congress needs to hold hearings to discuss legalizing sports betting. The theme of the show is to offer the perspectives of policy makers on issues that relate to the world of sports

"We need a debate in Congress," McCain said. "We need to have a talk with the American people, and we need to probably have hearings in Congress on the whole issue so we can build consensus." giving his opinion on sports betting. Licensed sports betting, particularly on devices showing games, is the mechanism that will eventually allow all professional sports to profit.

Mobile and Live Betting Software

 

The timing of a Congress that is controlled by the party of a former presidential candidate gives the possibility of this getting past the discussion stage more of a chance than getting an interview from Marshawn Lynch. The probability of something being done this year is significantly lower than the likelihood of +50 Shades of Grey being the number 1 box office movie. However, several states have already introduced bills that will allow sport betting. They include New Jersey, New York, Indiana, South Carolina and soon, Minnesota. 

 

I have two suggestions that give the proposed marriage of sports and gaming consummation. I would like someone from the gaming world with a national profile to embrace the position of sports and gaming as being feasible. The state of Nevada has a blueprint that can be emulated nationwide. I would encourage the commissioners of the leagues to have a summit sometime within the next 6 weeks to give this concept traction. The NFL and MLB are not in season so the time is ideal for them. Include the MLS too. A tremendous large and diverse fan base with international proportions. Have the summit in  Las Vegas, Atlantic City or New York City. The logistics being the association with gaming and the location of the league offices.  I 'll revisit the status of this in a future post.

Happy Valentine's Day

                                                          
 

               You can follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GamingguyM and Facebook
                                             at https://www.facebook.com/gaming.guym
                            Instagram photos and videos at http://instagram.com/gamingguym