Nearly six years ago, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver provided the first crack in the wall created by professional sports leagues in opposition to legalized sports betting through an op-ed article in the New York Times, where he suggested the activity “be appropriately monitored and regulated.”
Since his public remarks, 20 states and Washington D.C. have legalized sports betting while 17 other states are considering legislation addressing the topic this year.
Silver will participate in the American Gaming Association’s second Sports Betting Executive Summit March 16-18 at MGM National Harbor in Maryland. The one-and-a-half-day invitation-only conference will discuss the viability of sports betting markets, technology, and other topics.
In the November 2014 op-ed, Silver wrote sports betting “should be brought out of the underground and into the sunlight.”
AGA Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications Casey Clark said Silver will provide some insight on sports betting’s rapid expansion since his public endorsement stunned the professional sports and gaming communities.
Clark said the second summit will offer a different perspective from last year’s inaugural event.
“I don’t believe anyone predicted how quickly sports betting grew,” Clark said. “We’re not talking about potential, we’re discussing maturity. Everything happened in a short amount of time and it will be interesting to hear the commissioner’s perspective.”
In addition to Silver, the AGA has confirmed participation in the Summit from what the organization has termed “the sports betting ecosystem.”
The Summit comes as some 70 partnership agreements between leagues, gaming companies, sportsbook operators and related businesses have been announced. The AGA anticipates the figure could reach 100 by the end of the year.
Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini and Penn National Gaming CEO Jay Snowden will discuss their companies’ $163 million deal to utilize the media platform’s brand in both retail and online sports books operated by the regional casino giant.
NASCAR President Steve Phelps and Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke will address how legal sports betting is creating opportunities to deepen fan engagement. The companies entered into a data partnership last year NASCAR announced on Friday that Penn National would become its sports betting partner.
Other sessions include a discussion with DraftKings CEO Jason Robins and FanDuel CEO Matt King on the evolution of their daily fantasy sports businesses into legal sports betting opportunities.
Monumental Sports CEO Ted Leonsis told the Summit a year ago about plans to add sports betting to the downtown Washington D.C. arena he owns. Capitol One Arena is home to the company’s NBA, NHL and WNBA franchises. This year Leonsis will discuss the deal he reached with sportsbook operator William Hill US.
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daley, Kambi Chief Commercial Officer Max Meltzer, and Yahoo Sports Vice President Geoff Reiss will also participate.
#exclusive – NBA Commissioner Adam Silver highlights second AGA Sports Betting Summit. –@howardstutz, CDC Gaming. https://t.co/xUn69ZRYk4 @NBA @AmericanGaming #CDCgaming
— CDC Gaming (@CDCNewswire) February 9, 2020
Clark said last year’s Summit – 10 months before the first anniversary of the court’s landmark decision – was about “the realization that this was happening” and what could be the intended consequences of sports betting legalization.
Now, with the perspective of a full year, the realization that sports betting has become a viable piece of the overall gaming industry – $13 billion was wagered legally on sports in 2019 – the Summit is now about “protecting and enhancing” the prospects.
“How do we behave and act responsible to unlock the opportunity,” Clark said. “As an industry, we don’t want to get out over our skis.”
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
