As NFL Grapples With Gambling, Raiders Owner Mark Davis ‘Not A Fan’ Of Sports Betting
Photo by Bruno Guerrero on Unsplash
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is old enough to remember when gambling was anathema to the National Football League.
“I remember growing up that there was a big sign in the locker room as you walked out that door that said, ‘No gambling whatsoever,’ or there’s suspension or you’re out of the league,” Davis said during an interview with CNBC today.
Despite moving his team to the gambling capital of the world in 2020, Davis added that he’s “not a fan” of sports betting, which has increased exponentially due to the rise of prediction markets.
“I’m not a fan per se of gambling on sports, especially the one-on-ones, the proposition types of betting,” Davis said.
Davis noted that the burgeoning gambling industry could threaten the integrity of pro sports. As the NBA and MLB have already proven, that threat is real. Prop bets were at the heart of both scandals.
Weighing Money Versus Potential Risks
After years of distancing itself from the sports betting business, the NFL signed its first gambling partnership with Caesars back in 2019. To date, though, the NFL is the only major US sports league that hasn’t aligned with a prediction market.
“We think that there needs to be stronger regulations into the predictive markets,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told CNBC Sports in September. “We don’t feel like we have to be first in this. We feel like we’re going to be right. And the best thing to do is to be patient and make sure that you keep the integrity of the game number one.”
Davis echoed those sentiments, adding that the revenue that gambling partnerships generate should be a secondary consideration.
“I think the key thing is the integrity of the game,” he said.
The NFL has been consistent in its belief that prediction markets constitute gambling and should be overseen by states. In any case, Davis isn’t sure whether partnering with prediction markets is the right direction to go.
“People have to believe in the game,” Davis said. “Is it worth the risk? I don’t know. I can’t answer that.”
Gambling is everywhere these days. The Raiders have a deal with BetMGM, but don’t ask Davis about the spread on his team’s game.
“I’m more worried about the game on the field,” Davis said. “People ask, ‘What do you think you’re going to win by,’ I said, ‘I just want to win by one point.’”
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