David Stern No Longer Against Sports Betting in USA

Former NBA commissioner David Stern hopes for federal sports betting framework (Image: www.legalsportsreport.com).

Former NBA commissioner David Stern appears to have changed his mind with regards to whether United States residents should be allowed to bet on sports.

The man who was at the helm of the National Basketball League for exactly 30 years was a strong advocate of the ban on sports betting and the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), which saw only Nevada and Delaware operators allowed to accept sports betting wagers.

However, Stern has clearly changed his mind as he no longer feels the legalisation of sports betting in the United States would be harmful to its residents, as he believes the huge popularity of daily fantasy sports has changed everything.

The 74-year-old has claimed that a proper sports betting framework would protect the sporting competitions, rather than harm them, and further increase the earnings as those fans who bet on the game would be more likely to watch it live either at the actual venues or on television.

Adam Silver Also Wants Ban Lifted

Many believe that Stern’s change of stance has a lot to do with the fact that his successor Adam Silver wants sports betting to be legalised in the United States and believes the efforts will produce results in five to ten years.

David Stern hopes sports betting will be regulated on federal level, but he also hopes that each state and sport should have the power to opt out if they wish to do so.

It would appear that one of world’s largest sports betting markets is finally ready to open up and legalise betting on sports, although it will probably take at least few more years before a new gambling bill appears before the Congress.