When the NBA’s commissioner went to bat for legalized sports betting before PASPA was overturned in 2018, Adam Silver had an idea of what the gambling landscape needed to look like.
This isn’t quite what he had in mind.
With 39 U.S. states having legalized sports betting through online, retail, or both, Silver expected a more uniform approach to regulation. That hasn’t been the case, and he believes it’s created some of the gambling problems the NBA has faced over the last couple of years.
“The issues have been predictable,” Silver said on Tuesday. “I thought PASPA should be replaced with a legalized framework consistent from state to state, in partnership with the sports leagues protecting integrative rights.
“At times, I feel like we’re operating with one hand tied behind our back because of the regulatory structure right now.”
