“Betting on professional sports remains illegal in most parts of the United States, save for Nevada. I firmly believe we need to adopt a new perspective on this matter.”

The forthcoming 10th anniversary of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s pivotal op-ed captures a momentous shift in the sports industry, paving the way for a mainstream acceptance of sports betting, an issue that had long been mired in controversy.

Those significant lines formed the crux of an article penned by Silver himself, which first hit The New York Times website on November 13, 2014, and reached print the following day. The article, aptly titled “Legalize and Regulate Sports Betting,” marked a dramatic departure from the NBA’s prior stance. Silver’s intent was merely to ignite a dialogue, yet a decade later, the NBA has established business ties with over two dozen gaming corporations.

Sports betting has evolved from a topic of discussion into a full-blown phenomenon.

Reflecting on that time, Silver noted, “I certainly don’t regret advocating for legalized sports betting through that op-ed. We cannot reverse the clock. As I mentioned previously, with the rise of the internet and widespread online sports betting, we had to confront the reality that failing to legalize this sector would only drive people to underground methods of wagering.”

While Silver’s op-ed was not solely responsible for the transformation of the betting landscape, it undeniably set the wheels in motion. The initial pace was slow, as nearly four years passed before the U.S. Supreme Court abolished a federal law that prohibited betting on sports like football, basketball, and baseball across most states, empowering them to legalize sports gambling.

This law, known as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, had been in place since 1992, effectively designating Nevada as the sole state where individuals could place bets on the outcome of a single game.

In the four years following the repeal of PASPA, American sports betting flourished, with a staggering $125 billion legally wagered on various games.

Silver expressed his continued support for a federal regulatory framework surrounding sports betting, stating, “I still believe that a state-by-state system complicates matters for the league’s management. It fosters competition among states, particularly between regions like New York and New Jersey, vying for the same clientele while adjusting tax rates and regulations.”

He added, “While sports betting has its downsides, which we must address with great vigilance, we have seen underaged betting incidents and irregularities in collegiate settings that require our attention. Issues within the NBA itself were brought to light last season.”