--- title: "NBA, Gaming Group Push to End Illegal Sports Gambling" id: "26070" type: "post" slug: "nba-gaming-group-push-to-end-illegal-sports-gambling" published_at: "2014-11-18T19:19:53+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T18:22:17+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/11/18/nba-gaming-group-push-to-end-illegal-sports-gambling/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2014/11/18/nba-gaming-group-push-to-end-illegal-sports-gambling.md" excerpt: "With a new partnership on the horizon, the American Gaming Association and National Basketball Association look to chart a course toward legalized sports gambling." taxonomy_category: - "Advocacy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Legal" - "sports betting" - "sports leagues" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "For-Profit CEO / President / Owner / Partner" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » NBA, Gaming Group Push to End Illegal Sports Gambling For more than two decades, the four major North American sports leagues have strongly opposed legalizing sports betting at both the federal and state levels. But, in a major shift last week, the National Basketball Association broke away from that stance and may look to partner up with the American Gaming Association (AGA) to put an end to illegal gambling. > The gaming industry is committed to thwarting illegal gambling wherever it occurs, and we look forward to partnering with the NBA and others who share this goal. In [an op-ed published last week in The New York Times (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/14/opinion/nba-commissioner-adam-silver-legalize-sports-betting.html?_r=0) , NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the time is right to begin allowing consumers to place wagers on professional sports games—an act that is currently legal only in Nevada. “Despite legal restrictions, sports betting is widespread,” he wrote. “It is a thriving underground business that operates free from regulation or oversight. Because there are few legal options available, those who wish to bet resort to illicit bookmaking operations and shady offshore websites.” Legal sports betting offers consumers a safer and securer way to place wagers, AGA President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in [a statement (opens in a new tab)](http://www.americangaming.org/newsroom/press-releases/casino-gaming-industry-looks-forward-to-partnering-with-the-nba-others-to) . “In some cases, sports books in Nevada have even notified the FBI of unusual betting activity on sporting events that have led to convictions on match fixing.” While illegal sports betting is known to exist, there is no solid data on how widespread it is in the U.S. Some estimates go as high as $400 billion per year, Silver wrote in the *Times*. That’s where AGA plans to step in and help the NBA and eventually other sports leagues. “In the coming months, the AGA will be working to identify the size and scope of illegal gambling in the United States and what can be done to address the issue at a federal and state level,” Freeman said. “The gaming industry is committed to thwarting illegal gambling wherever it occurs, and we look forward to partnering with the NBA and others who share this goal.” In October, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie [signed legislation (opens in a new tab)](http://espn.go.com/espn/chalk/story/_/id/11718151/governor-chris-christie-signs-new-jersey-sports-betting-bill-law) that partially repealed the state’s sports betting ban, legalizing sports betting at state-licensed casinos and racetracks. The NCAA, NFL, and other sports leagues challenged the law, and a federal judge [granted a temporary restraining order (opens in a new tab)](http://espn.go.com/espn/chalk/story/_/id/11756538/major-sports-leagues-granted-temporary-restraining-order-legal-betting-new-jersey) that effectively put the law on hold. Arguments in the case are expected to be presented to U.S. District Court Judge Michael Shipp [on Thursday (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/10/nj_sports_betting_judge_to_hear_arguments_next_month_on_whether_to_extend_ban.html) . The initial ban on sports betting dates back to the 1992 [Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (opens in a new tab)](https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/102/s474/text) (PASPA), a federal law that prohibits states from legalizing sports betting. Sports leagues were a driving force in the measure’s passage, arguing that legalized betting would raise the risk of point-shaving and other corruption in sports. Silver argued that times have changed since PASPA was enacted. “There is an obvious appetite among sports fans for a safe and legal way to wager on professional sporting events,” he wrote. “In light of these domestic and global trends, the laws on sports betting should be changed. Congress should adopt a federal framework that allows states to authorize betting on professional sports, subject to strict regulatory requirements and technological safeguards.” (iStock/Thinkstock) [Rob Stott](https://associationsnow.com/author/rob-stott/) Rob Stott is a contributing editor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/rob-stott/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#Legal](https://associationsnow.com/tag/legal/) [#sports betting](https://associationsnow.com/tag/sports-betting/) [#sports leagues](https://associationsnow.com/tag/sports-leagues/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoNCRA: Safeguarding Cancer Surveillance: An Advocacy Response to FY26 Budget ThreatsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/ncra-safeguarding-cancer-surveillance-an-advocacy-response-to-fy26-budget-threats/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: All for the Love of Chicago: Rethinking the Destination ExperienceSeptember 10, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/10/associations-now-presents-all-for-the-love-of-chicago-rethinking-the-destination-experience/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2014%2F11%2F18%2Fnba-gaming-group-push-to-end-illegal-sports-gambling%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !