MLB commissioner wants to talk sports betting
Major League Baseball (MLB) commissioner Rob Manfred has stated he is open to talks about altering the legal framework for sports betting in the US.
MLB has long been opposed to sports betting along with the other major US sports leagues and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, who wish to protect the sports from the risk of match fixing.
Nevada is the only US state where players can bet on sporting events, while Montana, Delaware and Oregon have limited forms of sports betting.
Baseball was scarred by the Black Sox Scandal of 1919, where eight Chicago White Sox players were paid to throw the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds, with the Office of the Commissioner set up in light of the scandal.
But Manfred acknowledged that views on gambling have moved on and thinks MLB should hold talks on the possibility of allowing sports betting.
He told ESPN: “Gambling in terms of our society has changed its presence on legalisation and I think it’s important for there to be a conversation between me and the owners about what our institutional position will be.”
Manfred’s comments are another sign that the leagues are open to talking about sports betting, as National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver confirmed in January that he had held talks with other commissioners about legalising sports betting.
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