Adam Silver became the first commissioner of a major sports league to come out in support of legal sports betting, reflecting that it remains a driver for his involvement with the NBA rather than a source of revenue for the league.
“As I said on day one, it’s not a big business for us in terms of revenue streams for the league, but it makes a big difference in engagement,” Silver said. “It’s obviously something people enjoy. I put it in the category of other things in society and I don’t consider it a crime, but on the other hand, it needs to be heavily regulated because without guardrails people will rebel and create problems for themselves, and in some cases families and operations like ours.”
In 2014, the NBA began discussions about introducing legal gambling as a way to generate interest in its product.
“Gentlemanly betting or small stakes on any sporting event creates more enthusiasm,” Silver said at the time, “and that’s what makes it profitable. If people can click on their smartphones to place a bet while watching the game, as they are doing right now in the UK, they are much more likely to maintain their attention for a long period of time.”
