NBA clubs want to legalize sports betting in the US

The company to legalize sports betting is led by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who is supported by many presidents of basketball clubs. The New York Times published an article where he says that the US professional league is in favor of the legalization of sports betting that are popular among the players. This is a complete opposite opinion to their previous one, so they began to change their tune.

The desire of New Jersey to take Las Vegas-style sports betting to Atlantic City casinos and the state’s racetracks pushed forward the doubts as to the 23 years of ban on betting. Minnesota, Indiana, South Carolina and New York supported the idea of legalization, and the Congress faced two bills on this matter.

An associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School Dr. Howard Shaffer expressed his concerns about the readiness of the country to face the legalization of gambling in the form of sports betting. He supposes that at a great risk will be young citizens that will be exposed to the opportunity to wager legally, as well as some athletes. He thinks that in such a case more social services will be required to help addictive people.

Ted Hartwell, a former addictive player and now a public face helping to struggle this addict, states that it is possible to overcome the addiction if you apply for a special treatment as he did in 2007. Las Vegas Problem Gambling Centre helped him. But only 1% of gamblers makes this step, although 97% of patients, who undertook the treatment in Arizona, noticed changes for better.

Gambling is prohibited in 49 American states, but Americans continue to bet illegally, as it is in their nature. 1 in 6 Americans wagers on sports and 18.7% of athletes did the same in 2008 and 2012 respectively.

Hundreds of billions are wasted on betting every year in America. About $9 billion is the estimated sum of NCAA tournament. The sum will be much greater if sports betting is legalized.

The sports lottery betting brought only $10.81 m in 2009 and $37.8 m in 2014.