Commissioner says sports betting could help the NHL

Despite opposing the gambling modality and the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Commissioner said that sports betting could actually help hockey.

US.- The process of legalising sports betting in the United States has been long and tedious, with multiple setbacks due to the opposition of associations and sports entities. The National Hockey League (NHL) was one of the sports leagues that was against legalising sports betting, but now its Commissioner Gary Bettman has admitted that it could actually create a fair amount of opportunity for hockey.

“In terms of creating more interest and opportunities for states, for the federal government, for casinos… and for sports leagues, while the future is uncertain, I think there’s a fair amount of opportunity if it’s done right,” Bettman told CNBC yesterday.

Professional sports leagues have been lobbying for a fee in the sports betting business for a few months. Leaders have historically opposed the idea of a legalised sports betting market in the United States, but recently changed their stance after numerous industry experts estimated that the Supreme Court would overturn the federal ban.

“The Supreme Court has spoken, and we need to deal with the realities of our world,” Bettman said, and added that if done right, it would be a “one-size-fits-all sports betting solution that Congress passes.” He believes that the idea of dealing with multiple states and their own regulations would not be good.

Chris Grove, managing director of sports and emerging verticals at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming LLC, said earlier this week that the X-factor is whether or not, or to what degree, professional sports leagues and gambling industry stakeholders can reach consensus on a way forward. “There remains quite a bit of distance of how these two groups view sports betting.”