MLB’s proposed ‘integrity fee’ nothing more than a shameless money grab
It’s celebration time. The Great Come-and-get-it Day is at hand. On Monday the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Congress of the United States cannot prohibit New Jersey and other states from offering legalized sports betting. When the verdict was announced our governor was thrilled. So was his immediate predecessor.
That alone tells you how significant this moment is. I’m not sure those two guys would agree that today is Thursday. The fact that they both greeted the same Supreme Court decision with enthusiasm is monumental.
Still, not everybody was enthusiastic. The executives in Major League Baseball’s executive suites were not and neither were their counterparts in other major sports. While the case was in litigation all of them weighed in heavily in favor of the status quo. They lost.
The verdict is in and as soon as our legislature figures out how it wants to implement wagering, we’re going to have legalized betting on baseball and other sports. And guess who’s standing in the front of the line with a hand extended, palm up?
Major League Baseball is, that’s who. Yes, the very same folks who sought to prevent this occurrence are now demanding a big piece of the profit.
The folks from MLB are arguing that if New Jersey is going to use their product to make money they deserve to be compensated. After all, if betting is to be permitted on their game they’ll have to take steps to guard against the possibility of a scandal. Thus, they conclude, they should receive an “integrity fee” of one penny from every dollar wagered.
I think I need some oxygen. Major League Baseball is the governing body of 30 professional baseball teams owned by billionaires. Most of those teams play their home games in stadiums funded fully or partially by taxpayers. In addition, some of those teams even negotiate a favorable local tax status for themselves. And now they want an “integrity fee?”
What a terrible name for a naked money-grab.
That penny would soon blossom into a financial windfall that would come out of your pocket, even if you never make a wager on a baseball games.
The reason the politicians are gloating about the court ruling is that it opens up a vast new source of revenue for the state — revenue that can be acquired without imposing new taxes. The state intends to take a few pennies from every dollar wagered but there’s a limit to how much it can take without discouraging bettors. If MLB, or any other outsider, gets a penny, that’s one penny that the state can’t take. That means the state would then have to get that penny somewhere else.
Somewhere else means the taxpayers of New Jersey. Income tax, sales tax, property tax…whatever. If you’re a New Jersey taxpayer you’d be indirectly funding MLB’s greed. And those folks have the gall to call it an integrity fee and claim that it would be spent to deter corruption.
That, of course, is pure doubletalk. They make it sound like betting on the outcome of games is a new concept.
Really?
Somewhere in this newspaper you’ll find the gambling line on tomorrow’s games along with the prices on other sporting events. That’s not something that’s new and it’s not something that’s exclusive to this newspaper. It’s a daily service, informing potential gamblers what the prices will be if they can expect if they choose to place a wager with a local sportsbook. Yes, that sportsbook is operating outside the law, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t flourishing.
Betting on baseball is not a new concept enabled by a Supreme Court ruling. The only thing that will be novel is there will now be legal betting. To argue that the introduction of legal betting in New Jersey and other states somehow increases the risk of a scandal or causes MLB to take additional steps doesn’t wash.
Baseball must, and I believe it does, take all necessary steps to maintain the honesty of its sport on the field. That, of course, must continue and I have full confidence that it will.
I’m not as confident about its honesty off the field. After all, anyone who would call a naked money grab an “integrity fee” has something to learn about honesty.
is batting .514 in day games. After dark he “slumps” to .294…The Diamondbacks’
has driven in only one run in his last 21 games…Carlos of the Indians is the only pitcher to have logged two complete games. He has made nine starts…The are 5-0 in extra-inning games but 16-21 the rest of the time… After 142 at bats the Nationals’ still has not grounded into a double play…The have sacrificed 13 times. No other AL team has more than seven sacs…Carlos of the Cardinals has the best ERA (1.62) in the NL. He also has hit more batters (9) than any other pitcher…
of the Rangers has hit 13 homers, but only 14 singles. He has struck out 58 times…The
have hit only 38 homers this season. Their pitchers have allowed 61…Eleven teams have yet to hit a grand slam. The have managed six…After 23 home dates the average attendance is 10,676.
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Hall of Fame voter Jay Dunn has written baseball for The Trentonian for 50 years. Contact him at jaydunn8@aol.com