There\u2019s a plague passing through the National Basketball Association, and it\u2019s not tanking.<\/p>\n
Sure, the act of deliberately putting your team at a disadvantage in the hopes of improving draft odds is detrimental to the spirit of competition \u2014 when one of the teams doesn\u2019t care to win, why should the fans? But the NBA isn\u2019t anxious because ratings are low for Sacramento vs Washington.<\/p>\n
What really makes Adam Silver sweat is the influence of hundreds of billions of dollars of market share owned by sports betting companies across the nation. Gambling and professional sports are becoming synonymous for an increasing number of viewers. Revenue drives the industry, and few companies can promise higher ad spend than a sportsbook these days. When money becomes the top priority, the suppliers wrestle control from the recipients, and we\u2019re reaching a tipping point.<\/p>\n
When money becomes the top priority, the suppliers wrestle control from the recipients, and we\u2019re reaching a tipping point.<\/p>\n
Tim Donaghy, a disgraced former referee whose involvement in gambling influenced the way that he officiated games, manipulated the results of his assignments to satiate sports betters. His scandal rocked the NBA, tainting history and calling into question the results of games he called in the late 90\u2019s and early 2000\u2019s.<\/p>\n
That was the wake-up call. When gambling and sports mingle, they mix. And the NBA understood this threat over 20 years ago.<\/p>\n
In fact, in 1993, then-commissioner David Stern testified before Congress on the dangers of sports betting<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSports gambling jeopardizes the integrity of the game,\u201d Stern said in support of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. \u201cAs well as the loyalty of the fans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJeopardizes the integrity of the game\u201d? That sounds familiar.<\/p>\n David Stern changed his tune in 2016 with the rising popularity of daily fantasy sports.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever barrier perhaps existed is gone,\u201d Stern shared with ESPN<\/a>, completing a remarkable 180-degree kickflip. \u201cSo, to me, if they\u2019re going to be doing daily fantasy, you might as well legalize gambling.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued sharing his vision for its gradual implementation, hoping its implementation would be universal in the next five to 10 years. Here we are, just shy of one decade later.<\/p>\n Per the Sports Business Journal<\/a>, gambling companies spent $52.1 million on NBA advertising during the 2024-25 season, a 28.96% increase from the previous season.<\/p>\n Sports betting advertisements caught 1.93 billion household impressions through the \u201824-\u201925 season. Can you remember the last time you watched an NBA basketball game (or a U.S. professional sporting event at all) where your ad breaks weren\u2019t bombarded with Kevin Hart sharing all the wonders of sports books? Where some Joe Schmoe\u2019s life not radically improved thanks to the wonders of betting? Where a voiceover didn\u2019t promise you free money when you sign up to Prize Picks, Draft Kings, FanDuel, MGM Bet, bet365, Caesar\u2019s Sportsbook, Hard Rock Bet, Kalshi, etc.?<\/p>\n A recent report from Ben Golliver<\/a> shared that gambling companies played a notable part in Adam Silver\u2019s decision to punish the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for tanking.<\/p>\n \u201cOver-unders are at stake [\u2026] player props are at stake.\u201d Golliver shared on his podcast. \u201cIf coaches are just willy-nilly not playing guys the entire game, and they\u2019re not letting people know in advance that they plan to do that, you\u2019re going to have a lot of angry gamblers and a lot of angry gambling companies as well.\u201d<\/p>\n With its spreading legalization, the public opinion of sports gambling and daily fantasy apps has become increasingly positive. We\u2019re normalizing sports gambling in the United States. It\u2019s no wonder that their will controls the NBA.<\/p>\n In a way, the NBA Draft Lottery is essentially gambling when you think about it. By tanking, teams buy up as many lottery tickets as they can get their hands on \u2014 hoping, praying that their number will be called and all their dreams will come true. They\u2019ll have the best, shiniest young star and watch as their revenue skyrockets in the following season. AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson in Utah? It\u2019ll be standing room only in the Delta Center. Pay no mind to the Scrooge McDuck indoor pool<\/a> in the arena\u2019s updated renovation plans.<\/p>\n Tanking should not be a part of the game, I\u2019ll grant you that. But perhaps the order of operations shouldn\u2019t begin with Lauri Markkanen\u2019s playing time.<\/p>\n But when the act of tanking works against the interests of the gambling companies funding the NBA, Silver\u2019s action indicated that his loyalties (and by extension, the NBA\u2019s priorities) lie with the sportsbooks, not with the teams.<\/p>\n Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to manipulating gambling over\/unders with his play. Terry Rozier has been arrested for similar accusations.<\/p>\n Chauncey Billups, the former head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, was arrested for his involvement in illegal mafia-tied gambling.<\/p>\n Just after the Bucks flirted with the NBA trade deadline in their annual will-they-or-won\u2019t-they-trade-Giannis sweepstakes, Antetokounmpo announced a partnership with Kalshi<\/a>, the app where you can bet on anything.<\/p>\n Yet it\u2019s the Utah Jazz who receive the finger of blame <\/a>for the hideous state of professional basketball today. Tanking should not be a part of the game, I\u2019ll grant you that. But perhaps the order of operations shouldn\u2019t begin with Lauri Markkanen\u2019s playing time.<\/p>\n Calvin Barrett<\/a> is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA<\/a> and College Sports<\/a> since 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"There\u2019s a plague passing through the National Basketball Association, and it\u2019s not tanking. 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