Goodell addresses betting at owners meeting; NBA, MLB team up to lobby on legal betting

Each Friday, we’ll comb through as many articles, tweets and podcasts as we can find related to the world of sports betting and daily fantasy sports, and publish the good stuff here. 

Stumble upon something you think we should include? Email info@bettingtalk.com.

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On Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed sports betting during the league’s owners meeting.

I don’t have any insight into what the Supreme Court is going to do and we’re not privy to that. I think what we did this week was make sure people understood how the prospects and potential for gambling can change, in part because of the Supreme Court decision, how it’s evolved on its own, beyond that. And this isn’t new work, we’ve been focused on this for several years, of how it’s affected the way we operate.

The No. 1 thing that was endorsed repeatedly by our membership was the integrity of our game though. We have to make sure that whatever environment we’re working in, and some of that may be related to what the Supreme Court decides, some of it might be future legislation, but we have to make sure we are operating in an environment where we can protect that integrity of the game. We recognize that we’re dealing in an environment here where we don’t know what the Supreme Court is going to do and we don’t know how other issues are going to evolve. But we wanted to make sure our clubs fully understood what we’re doing to make sure we’re prepared for that.


The NBA and MLB have teamed together to lobby on how they would want legalized sports betting to look.

The National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball recently formed a lobbying alliance to try to shape that legislation nationwide. The two are joined together, traveling from state to state to pitch their blueprint as a model for all to follow. Their lawyers are adept at testifying, but they rely on the relationship between local lobbyists and lawmakers to make more-personal inroads.


The Supreme Court still has not issued a ruling on its sports betting case. The next possible day for a decision is April 2.

The Supreme Court released one decision on Tuesday, and will not release any more this week. The next possible day for a decision is Monday, April 2.

With New Jersey voters having overwhelmingly voted down a referendum that would have expanded casino gaming outside Atlantic City in Nov. 2016, sports betting is viewed as a much-needed alternative revenue stream for Monmouth Park.

The track has struggled to maintain the quality of its racing product amid increased competition from tracks in neighboring states, which receive money from associated casino operations to supplement purses and operations.

While Monmouth Park officials are reluctant to put a dollar figure on their share of the annual sports betting windfall, the number has been estimated at upwards of $50-million annually, with the track to split the proceeds with William Hill, having partnered with the British betting company on sports wagering.


ESPN’s Darren Rovell imagines a future with legalized sports betting.

It’s 9 a.m. on a Sunday in December, and the doors to the new Washington Wizards arena, the Netflix Center, are open. The Wizards won’t host the Charlotte Hornets until later that evening, but already more than 1,100 fans can be heard in the arena. Why?

They’re here to watch Manchester United and Chelsea on the big screen and to bet on the game, of course. Cheering and screaming with every goal, many have a stake in the game through WizBet, the Wizards’ betting app.

The year is 2023, and sports betting is now legal in Washington, D.C. (as well as nearly the entire U.S.). The most progressive owners, such as Wizards and Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, are turning their arenas into sports books — even when action isn’t taking place on the court or ice.