MLS Latest to Endorse Legalized Sports Betting

For a number of years, sports league commissioners have led the charge to prevent legalized sports betting. All sports commissioners know that betting takes place on their games, whether legal or not. If a change of direction, more and more commissioners are now speaking out in favor of legalized sports betting. The latest is Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber.

Appearing at SWSX in Austin, Texas, Garber told GeekWire “it’s time to bring it out of the dark ages.”

“We have a project going on now to really dig in deeply and understand it,” Garber said. “I’ll be the third commissioner (along with NBA’s Adam Silver and MLB’s Rob Manfred) in and say I’m very open to understanding how we can get more engaged in this market in a way that I think if done properly, can be regulated and managed and controlled.”

Granted, MLS doesn’t attract that many bets. But it is encouraging to see another league head who knows that something must be done. Gary Bettman is putting a team in Las Vegas next year, so he can’t be completely opposed to the gambling culture. While the NFL still speaks out against legalized sports betting, it will be interesting to see if the owners approve the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas. Robert Kraft, who wanted to build a casino near the Patriots’ stadium, supports the move. He’s one of the most influential owners around.

The NFL’s stand stinks of hypocrisy. No pro sports league is as dependent on betting than the NFL. The league’s ties to gambling have been evident right from the start. Leonard Tose, Art Rooney, Tim Mara and Charles Bidwell all had gambling ties. There are others. The majority of teams in the league have agreements with Daily Fantasy Sports companies. Many teams have license agreements with state lotteries. The braintrust of the NFL isn’t stupid. They just look that way when they publicly oppose gambling.