Leagues weigh in on gambling
The United States Supreme Court overturned a federal law that prohibits gambling on sports in a landmark 63 decision that allows individual states to form their own laws to regulate bets placed on games within professional and amateur athletics.
Here is how various sports organizations reacted to Monday’s news: “I felt like this was something that would be passed at some point. It’s been certainly something we’ve discussed quite a bit over the last year and a half, so it’s not surprising. The integrity of collegiate athletics is important in this. We’ll wait to see where (the NCAA) goes … and we’ll take what their lead is and follow it.” — Rick George, “We will work with the NCAA and our partners across intercollegiate athletics to more fully understand the implications of the decision announced this morning by the Supreme Court . ... For our part, we already host our Mountain West men’s and women’s basketball championships ... in Nevada, where sports wagering has been legal for decades, and will continue doing so.”
— Craig Thompson, “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court opens the door for states to pass laws legalizing sports betting. We remain in favor of a federal framework that would provide a uniform approach to sports gambling in states that choose to permit it, but we will remain active in ongoing discussions with state legislatures. Regardless of the particulars of any future sports betting law, the integrity of our game remains our highest priority.” — Adam Silver, “Today the United States Supreme court issued a clear decision that PASPA is unconstitutional, reversing the lower courts that held otherwise. While we are still reviewing the decision to understand the overall implications to college sports, we will adjust sports wagering and championship policies to align with the direction from the court.”
— Donald Remy, “Today’s decision by the United States Supreme Court will have profound effects on Major League Baseball. As each state considers whether to allow sports betting, we will continue to seek the proper protections for our sport ... Our most important priority is protecting the integrity of our games. We will continue to support legislation that creates airtight coordination and partnerships between the state, the casino operators and the governing bodies in sports toward that goal.”
— Major League Baseball office “The NFL’s longstanding and unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of our game remains absolute. Congress has long recognized the potential harms posed by sports betting to the integrity of sporting contests and the public confidence in these events. Given that history, we intend to call on Congress again, this time to enact a core regulatory framework for legalized sports betting. We also will work closely with our clubs to ensure that any state efforts that move forward in the meantime protect our fans and the integrity of our game.” — National Football League office “The Supreme Court’s decision today paves the way to an entirely different landscape — one in which we have not previously operated. We will review our current practices and policies and decide whether adjustments are needed, and if so, what those adjustments will look like. It’s important to emphasize that the Supreme Court’s decision has no immediate impact on existing league rules relating to sports wagering, and particularly, wagering involving NHL games.”
— National Hockey League office