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Adam Silver: Legalize sports betting

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by MileHigh, Nov 13, 2014.

  1. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Yep, let the states sort it out. They've proven to be able to run the numbers rackets very well. No reason you shouldn't be able to fill out a betting slip like you would a Powerball bubble slip (or even Keno in some states), hand to a kid behind the counter to scan into a machine and be in action. It doesn't have to be complicated.
     
  2. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I still question why someone has to oversee it. For what purpose?

    People are going to do lots of things, no matter what. Isn't that their business? They are going to buy X Boxes. They are going to have sex. They are going to buy birthday cards. Why is this so different that it requires licensing (which is usually just a way for those already in to create barriers to entry for others) and someone controlling, or overseeing, it?
     
  3. trifectarich

    trifectarich Well-Known Member

    I'm hesitant to let each state make its own rules. I look at horse racing, where the rules on betting and medications are different, and it's a mess. Maybe sports betting is just far simpler to administer; I hope so. Let's get this done.
     
  4. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    I would have no illusions that it would be "good" gambling. I'd love to just be able to place a straight bet on State U minus-7 like I'm betting 1-4-9 in the Pick 3. If the line moves to -6 an hour before kickoff, I wouldn't expect to be able to get that. They'll need to make it as basic as possible, on slips probably printed on Mondays or whatever.
     
  5. JackReacher

    JackReacher Well-Known Member

    Big difference between getting a line an hour before kickoff and having to make your bets based on lines that are 5 days old. There's a ton of middle ground there.
     
  6. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Of course. But I'm saying the states overnight aren't likely to be very good bookmakers. Gotta start somewhere.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 1, 2015
  7. Football_Bat

    Football_Bat Well-Known Member

    It's going to be a long process, like with same-sex marriage and cannabis. Public attitudes have to change over time, especially in the Bible Belt where only recently did you see lotteries and a few casinos. It'll take decades there. It will have to be state-by-state because of the climate in DC.
     
  8. Small Town Guy

    Small Town Guy Well-Known Member

    I agree with Silver and the consensus here. But, and this means nothing except it clicked in my head, the last part of Silver's piece, and some of the posts here remind me of the dons talking about narcotics in The Godfather.

    http://youtu.be/6jpwqWPKAUc?t=2m38s

    "I wanna control it as a business, to keep it respectable."
     
  9. heyabbott

    heyabbott Well-Known Member

    cash only
     
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