Legalized sports betting is coming to New Jersey

Now, it's no longer just one new sports commissioner speaking up on the issue. Now, it's two of them, with MLB's new leader Rob Manfred joining this counterpart at the NBA, Adam Silver, in supporting a new approach to legalize sports better.
This is what Manfred had to say on ESPN's Outside The Lines on Thursday when asked about the growing movement — in New Jersey and beyond — of states looking to tap into the huge potential revenue stream:

 "Nobody's talking about a situation where anyone, any way involved with the play of the game on the field would be subject to rules different than they are today. The ban on that type of involvement would stay in place.

"Having said that, gambling in terms of our society has changed its presence. The legalization. And I think it's important for there to be a conversation between me and the owners about what our institutional position will be."

So let's review: First it was Silver, the commissioner whose league dealt with the gambling scandal involving rogue referee Tim Donaghy, coming out in strong support of legalized sports betting beyond Nevada in interviews and in a New York Times editorial.

"It's inevitable that, if all these states are broke, that there will be legalized sports betting in more states than Nevada," Silver said. "We will ultimately participate in that. ... If you have a gentleman's bet or a small wager on any kind of sports contest, it makes you that much more engaged in it. That's where we're going to see it pay dividends. If people are watching a game and clicking to bet on their smartphones, which is what people are doing in the United Kingdom right now, then it's much more likely you're going to stay tuned for a long time."

Now it's Manfred, whose very job exists because of the Black Sox gambling scandal a century ago, voice his own support for tapping into a logical revenue source. Make no mistake: Silver and Manfred aren't supporting this for any other reason that their own desire to add to the bottom line.

If it's inevitable — and it sure feels that way — why not reap the benefits? Especially since the idea that a mobster could pay off a baseball star to fix a game, in this era of eight-figure contracts, seems as antiquated as a black-and-white highlight reel of Shoeless Joe Jackson.

All of the major sports leagues already have embraced fantasy games as a way to increase their appeal with younger fans, and it's openly accepted that most fans gamble on those leagues. Silver told ESPN The Magazine in January that he had contacted the other league commissioners about the issue, and now one of those men has joined him in supporting a change.

Does that mean you'll be able to put $50 on the Giants in the season opener next fall? No. But it's certainly moving in that direction.