Former NBA Chief Commissioner David Stern has urged the US government to introduce federal regulations for sports betting, backing current NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s calls for federal reforms.
David Stern who was the longest serving NBA Commissioner (20 year governance) made his supportive comments on CNBC’s Morning Show. Former Commissioner Stern is thought to be one of the most influential voices in American pro sports.
Stern commented on the matter
“Once daily fantasy became an acceptable exception to the law against gambling, I think that’s gambling, so now I think the best approach would be, as Adam Silver has advocated, is for there to be federal regulation. Bring the sports leagues in. If it’s going to happen, because it has happened anyway by Justice Department rulings and the like, you should make it legal and you should regulate it as tightly as you possibly can.”
During his term as NBA Commissioner Stern had opposed US sports betting, however his stance appears to have changed. When asked about his previous stance on the matter, Stern commented that the “NBA had morphed considerably in its corporate view of gambling”.
Adam Silver’s pro sports betting stance, has boosted initiatives for federal sports betting to be legalized in the USA. The commissioner urged the US government to act urgently on the matter as an estimated $400 billion was currently being wagered illegally.