Last week, the US sports betting movement continued its march forward as an NBA gambling partnership was signed with MGM Resorts International. It was the first professional sports league in North America to make such a deal with a gambling company. This new partnership will include both the NBA and WNBA leagues. The National Hockey League (NHL), led by Commissioner Gary Bettman wants to follow suit by participating in an NHL sports betting deal.
The move comes after a landmark court decision in which the Supreme Court ruled that US states would be allowed to individually decide upon gambling laws with their own regulation. That means that sports betting could soon be allowed in many states beyond the few that are already offering it. As of this report, Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware are the few, with other states trying to enact new laws. Betting operator William Hill is apparently in discussion with about 14 states to move forward with casino operators, while they already have agreements with casinos in Mississippi and West Virginia.
Bettman appeared on a PodcastOne Sports Now episode saying their feeling towards sports betting on hockey hasn’t changed, but also mentioned that “his league should benefit from bets” that are made on the game. Bettman said the NHL is planning on entering into discussion with any entity that wants to conduct gambling business with the league.
Bettman wants to make sure they benefit from an NBA gambling partnership if an entity wants to use league videos, intellectual property, or other assets. If a partnership happens, an NHL sports betting deal would make it the second major sports league in the US to make a deal, ahead of the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB).
Before the landmark Supreme Court ruling, all of the professional sports leagues had been opposed to the expansion of sports betting on their games, teams, and players due to integrity issues. However, there is plenty of evidence suggesting that legalized sports betting will be profitable not only for bringing revenue to individual states. It could also be highly profitable for the leagues that provide the games individuals will be betting on.
