MLB and the NBA, NCAA, NFL and NHL fought a nearly 10-year legal battle with New Jersey to stop the state from legalizing sports betting and, in 2018, lost in the U.S. Supreme Court. The landmark decision brought sports betting to the forefront and put more focus on the policies leagues are relying on as the landscape evolves.
Now, with more than half the nation offering legal betting, professional leagues and collegiate sports face a new reality and a straightforward business decision about whether to participate in a growing revenue stream that is not without risk.
Just five years ago, before the Supreme Court’s ruling, roughly 1% of Americans lived in states with legal betting.
