MLB to talk betting with owners
New commissioner Rob Manfred says
it's time for Major League Baseball to give "fresh consideration" to
an issue it has shunned for decades -- legalized sports betting.
"Gambling in terms of our
society has changed its presence on legalization," Manfred said Thursday
on ESPN's "Outside the Lines," "and I think it's important for
there to be a conversation between me and the owners about what our
institutional position will be."
For decades, baseball's position on
sports betting has been one of utter disdain. Manfred's comments were tempered
-- especially compared to NBA commissioner Adam Silver's call for federal legalization --
but represent a dramatic shift from MLB's longstanding staunch opposition.
the Office of the Commissioner was
formed specifically to deal with gambling, after the Chicago White Sox threw the 1919 World Series.
Baseball also was rocked by a gambling scandal in 1989, when it was revealed
that all-time hits leader Pete Rose had bet on baseball while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Rose was banned for life by
then-commissioner Fay Vincent.
In addition, recently retired
commissioner Bud Selig said in 2012 deposition testimony that he was
"appalled" that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was attempting to
legalize sports betting.
But, as Manfred noted Thursday,
sports betting has rapidly become more socially acceptable. Baseball, along
with the NFL, NBA and NHL, are participating in advertising and sponsorship
deals with daily fantasy sports. Last March, Major League Baseball endorsed
daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings as the "official mini fantasy
game of MLB.com."
Silver emphasized his support of
legalization in a November op-ed in The New York Times.
He called on Congress to create a federal framework of regulations and allow
states to authorize betting on professional sports.
In late January, Silver told ESPN The Magazine that he had spoken
to the commissioners of the other major U.S. leagues about sports betting and
that they all were studying the issue intensively.
"I understand the arguments
that Adam made," Manfred said Thursday, "and I think the most
appropriate thing for me at this point ... is to wait until I've had a chance
to deal with the owners on this topic."
Approximately $725 million was
wagered on baseball in 2014 at Nevada's legal sportsbooks. The American Gaming
Association estimates $138.9 billion is wagered illegally on all sports
annually in the U.S.
