The NBA just made a big announcement that could chance the economics of the league forever.
One of the league's attorneys testified before a New York State committee and requested a “set of laws that could be the basis for professional sports leagues pushing for national legalized wagering on games,” per Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
Article Continues BelowThe NBA wants 1 percent of every bet made on its games in addition to other regulations, a request that could create massive revenue for the NBA and other sports leagues in the future.
Spillane also said the NBA wants more widespread access to gambling for its fans, pushing for bets to be made legal on smartphones and kiosks and not just inside casinos and racetracks. That would increase the amount of wagering and, in turn, create more revenue for the league under its desired plan.
Needless to say, this would be huge. Gambling is illegal in most states, but it is a huge part of sports, especially for fans. There's fantasy sports, daily fantasy and of course, all the betting that goes on legally in Las Vegas. Plus, part of what makes sports fun is when friends wager on what little moments will happen in games.
So for the NBA to formerly request laws, and to outline how it would benefit, is a significant push toward legalized gambling not just in basketball, but potentially in all of sports. Making gambling potentially mobile will give the NBA an unprecedented amount of fans participating.
There will inevitably be some people who think this is a bad development, but as long as the league does it the right way, it should be nothing but a positive outcome.