Wizards Owner Ted Leonsis: Sports Gambling Should Be Legalized
Fresh off of the heels of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's comments that the U.S. should, in time, leagalize sports gambling, Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis is weighing in with his own opinions. Agreeing with Silver, Leonsis said it's the logical next step since people already use betting services, reports Complex.
"There's so much betting that goes on," he told Sports Illustrated. "It makes sense... It's better to get in front of it. The consumer is going to do what the consumer is going to do. We have to make sure that it's managed the right way."
Silver provided similar insight in an op-ed piece that he wrote for The New York Times. In the article titled "Legalize and Regulate Sports Betting," he began with the bold line, "Betting on professional sports is currently illegal in most of the United States outside of Nevada. I believe we need a different approach."
After highlighting the various ways in which gambling has seamlessly assimilated itself into American sports culture, he listed states that have already legalized the practice, legal casinos or lotteries.
"There is no solid data on the volume of illegal sports betting activity in the United states," he wrote, "but some estimate that nearly $400 billion is illegally wagered on sports each year."
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