Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA find themselves in a huge problem. The FBI has secured more than 30 indictments on charges of illegal gambling in the league. Three NBA figures are directly linked to the scandal.
Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and ex-pro Damon Jones were arrested for allegedly getting involved in illegal gambling. This scandal has raised a lot of questions about the NBA’s reputation. Silver recently broke his silence about the situation during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“I think probably there should be more regulation, frankly. Maybe surprising hearing from me. I wish there was federal legislation rather than state by state. I think you gotta monitor the amount of promotion, the amount of advertising around it. Also we have pulled back. It’s not completely in our control but we have asked some of our partners to pull back some of the prop bets,” Silver said.
He further explained how he is trying to work with the betting companies to add some additional control.
Silver also mentioned how, with a new regulated structure of legalized betting, the NBA can monitor things better than before.
“If there’s any aberrational behavior – people betting large numbers who hadn’t historically done so, just opening an account to place bets, or even the geotargeting, we know exactly from where the bets are being placed,” he added. “If you’re in an arena and place a bet, we know you’re in the arena, and in many cases, we know where in the arena you are when you place that bet.”
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Fans React to Adam Silver’s statement on NBA’s Gambling Scandal
Fans online were confused as they reacted to Adam Silver’s take and demanded a better solution.
“Aren’t you in charge of keeping the league in line?” one fan asked.
“This message was brought to you by Fanduel,” another fan mocked one of the sponsors.
“How about you make the games more accessible first?” one fan demanded.
“Meanwhile, the NBA is promoting sports betting,” another claimed.
“But y’all partnered with these companies, give me a break smh,” one fan expressed agitation.
“Wonder if the league still thinks it was a good idea to promote all these gambling apps,” another said.
“Fix your league. It has a credibility problem when stuff like this continues to happen on a 2-3 month cycle. Not to mention you still employ Scott Foster,” one fan demanded.
“You’re the president of the league. If you don’t initiate regulation, no one will. And can we talk about the betting now?” another commented.
Read more:
Terry Rozier Arrest: What Happened With Miami Guard That Led to Shocking Charges
Malik Beasley Hangs in the Balance After Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier Arrest – Reports
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