Roughly two months after calling it inevitable, NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced his support for legalized sports betting in the U.S. in an op-ed piece for The New York Times on Thursday night.

Silver had said at the Bloomberg Sports Business Summit in September that “if you have a gentlemen’s bet or a small wager on any kind of sports contest, it makes you that much more engaged in it,’’ rendering his argument made in the Times less than surprising.

Silver made a point to note that sports gambling should be regulated while citing both the popularity and legality of the activity “outside the United States.’’


Another key aspect of Silver’s argument is the fact that people regularly bet on games in this country already, and clearly want to, regardless of whether it’s legal or not. That, along with media outlets like ESPN routinely publishing, displaying or discussing point spreads, counts as evidence that sports gambling is not going anywhere, so why not regulate it and profit on it via legal channels.

Sports gambling is a thriving, multi-billion dollar enterprise as is. By penning this op-ed, Silver instantly becomes the highest profile voice in favor of a major, pro sports league getting its piece of the pie.