NBA game played at arena with a legal sportsbook
Commissioner Adam Silver says European soccer shows sports/gambling can co-exist.
A National Basketball Association playoff game took place in an arena that had a sportsbook actively taking wagers, and despite the dire predictions from gambling prohibitionists everywhere, the world did not come to an end.
In related news, none of the players from the Washington Wizards or the Philadelphia 76ers were spotted engaging in dice games on the sidelines due to the supposedly pervasively corruptive influence of gambling.
Perhaps this all comes as no surprise, as there have been college basketball games played in arenas attached to hotel/casinos in Las Vegas for years. The MGM Grand and The Orleans have hosted numerous holiday tournaments and, more recently, conference championship tournaments. In those cases, patrons of the casinos had the opportunity to plunk down a bet at the sportsbook and then take a very short walk to the venue and watch a basketball game with the ticket in their pockets.
Still, Saturday was a historic day at Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, given the relative newness of legal sports betting in states not named Nevada. As reported by Gaming America last week, the William Hill Sportsbook at the arena opened May 26, officially becoming the first sportsbook at a US pro sports venue.
William Hill previously operated seven betting windows and several kiosks at Capital One Arena, home of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, WNBA’s Washington Mystics and NHL’s Washington Capitals.
The sportsbook is two stories and covers 18,000 square feet, room for 17 betting windows and 12 self-service kiosks. It has more than 100 television screens and a 1,500 square-foot LED screen wraps the entire facility.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver attended Saturday’s game and was interviewed on television. During that chat, Silver noted European soccer games long have allowed fans to make wagers on the outcome of the contest being played in front of them. Silver said the league needs to be transparent in its partnerships with gaming operators and must help problem gamblers.
According to ESPN Chalk, the Sixers-Wizards game attracted 40% of NBA handle on Saturday at the DC William Hill book.
Tags/Keywords
Players trust our reporting due to our commitment to unbiased and professional evaluations of the iGaming sector. We track hundreds of platforms and industry updates daily to ensure our news feed and leaderboards reflect the most recent market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience within iGaming, our team provides a wealth of expert knowledge. This long-standing expertise enables us to deliver thorough, reliable news and guidance to our readers.
Latest News
