NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently wrote an op-ed for The New York Times calling for legalized gambling. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is unimpressed.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is apparently a tough guy to please.
The governor called out NBA commissioner Adam Silver Monday night, accusing the commissioner of trying a “bait and switch” maneuver with regards to legalized sports gambling.
Christie signed a law in October that would remove sports wagering restrictions in his state, a move that was opposed by all four major sports leagues—the NBA included—along with the NCAA.
An injunction was issued in federal court preventing the law from being implemented.
On Monday, Christie said it was “kind of crazy” for Silver to ask for his help with a legalization push when Silver is fighting against the governor in his own state.
Silver said on ESPN’s Outside The Lines recently that the New Jersey governor should take a more national approach on the issue.
"“(He should) turn his attention to Washington, D.C., to Congress, and say, ‘Here are all the reasons it should be regulated, but let’s come up with a framework that makes sense on a national basis presumably that would allow states to opt in.’”"
Christie called Silver’s position a “bait and switch.”
It really isn’t, but Christie doesn’t appear to have a problem with cutting off his nose to spite his face.
According to the American Gaming Association, $3.45 billion was legally wagered in 2012 in Nevada—the only state where sports wagering is legal.
The FBI estimates that more than $2.5 billion is wagered illegally each year … just on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
The AGA, citing the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, claims that illegal betting is as high as $380 billion annually.
Legalize it, regulate it, put the neighborhood bookies out of business.
But would this mean the government would intervene to provide job retraining for all of those displaced bet runners?
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