Allow me a moment to shoot some fish in a barrel.
Former Timberwolves point guard and current Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested by the FBI on Thursday as part of a federal investigation into illegal gambling that snared more than 30 people for alleged crimes ranging from rigged poker games to trading inside NBA information with sports bettors.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier also was arrested, accused of trading inside NBA information with bettors and at least once “manipulating his performance” in a game to benefit sports bettors.
It’s juicy stuff, but does this really surprise anyone? Pro sports leagues, and some individual franchises, can’t hoover money from legal sportsbooks fast enough.
It seems there isn’t an ad break in a Vikings, Timberwolves or Wild game that doesn’t include at least one spot for DraftKings or FanDuel. The Wild and Wolves are televised by FanDuel Network, and the Wild play in Grand Casino Arena. Athletes are told not to get involved in sports betting, but the sponsorship money suggests that comes with a wink.
That might sound unfair, but NFL players aren’t told they can’t eat at Chili’s or buy a Chevy Silverado.
Sports gambling remains illegal in Minnesota, despite several legislative attempts to change that — most recently last spring. Locals can get around that, to an extent, through online prediction markets. But Minnesota is an outlier here, and as was the case with those stubborn Sunday blue laws, sports gambling will eventually win out in Minnesota.
Even the NCAA is reading the Zeitgeist; on Nov. 1, it will begin allowing athletes and athletic department staff members to bet on professional sports. The consortium of college athletics programs still won’t allow athletes or staff to bet on college sports, or share information with bettors. So, you know, no issues here. Don’t be surprised if the last bastion of amateurism (lolz) signs on with a deep-pocketed sportsbook by next summer.
It’s probably better than private equity, which big-time college programs that sponsor football appear to be considering to help fund the $20.5 million they can, and will, pay student-athletes. This is a terrible idea. It will be less than a full academic year before some young analyst from Duke who goes by “Big Brains” tells the boss it’s imperative that Wassamada U sells off its baseball and softball stadiums.
Billups’ arrest wasn’t sports-related; the Trailblazer’s coach is accused of being involved with rigged poker games tied to organized crime. Not a great look for the NBA. Even worse is the idea that Rozier faked an injury to affect the outcome of a game when he was with the Charlotte Hornets.
The concern around sports gambling has always been the potential for fans to assume many games are fixed, and therefore their favorite teams are not worth their time, fealty or money. But fantasy football propped up the NFL through rough times, and the leagues are not unaware of the role sports betting plays in their ratings.
If people begin doubting the integrity of the contests, there will still be plenty to bet on. Fantasy fans will sit through a Cardinals-Panthers game to see if the tight end catches a touchdown pass; imagine if there was real money on the line?
Consider a not-too-distant future when you can wager a prop bet on which players are most likely to miss three layups, fumble at the goal line or leave early with a mysterious injury. Serious bettors don’t have an emotional stake in which team wins; can the NBA, NFL, NHL and NCAA survive if their fan bases join them?
Crawling into bed with legal sports books doesn’t guarantee these leagues will be overrun by gambling scandals. But it does send a message, to fans and players, that betting on them is a large, and growing, part of the reason they exist.
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