The NHL respects the opinion of NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who, in a recent New York Times op-ed piece, wrote that he favors the legalization and regulation of sports betting.
However, that does not mean the NHL also favors the legalization and regulation of sports betting.
“That was Adam’s opinion, and certainly one he and the NBA are entitled to,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wrote PHT in an email. “That does not mean we share it. I think there are several assertions he relies on that we might question, or certainly would want to test further, and there are other considerations not mentioned that we think are relevant. It is a complex issue and, at least from our perspective, one that does not lend itself easily to a simple ‘agree’ or ‘disagree.’”
In Silver’s opinion, “Congress should adopt a federal framework that allows states to authorize betting on professional sports, subject to strict regulatory requirements and technological safeguards.”
And while Silver is “clear” that any “new approach must ensure the integrity of the game,” he ultimately believes that “sports betting should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated.”
Meanwhile, did you hear the NHL might be putting a team in Las Vegas?