Former MLB chief back US sports betting expansion

Fay Vincent, former commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB), has pledged his support to the potential expansion of regulated sports betting in the US.

Current MLB chief Rob Manfred has already declared his backing for New Jersey and the state’s effort to overturn the federal 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).

Should New Jersey succeed, this would then allow other states to legalise sports betting.

Vincent, who led the MLB from 1989 until 1992, told US radio station The Game 730AM the expansion of regulated sports betting would create an “avalanche of money” for professional sports teams.

“It’s going to be the biggest development in the overall business of sports in many years,” Vincent said.

“My guess when you legalise betting on sports in this country, you are going to generate an absolute avalanche of money for the franchises.

“Once you make betting on sports legal, you change the whole culture of how the games are evaluated and approached; the cultural and social and moral issues are really enormous.”

However, Vincent warned that should the US Supreme Court rule in favour of New Jersey, the state would need to broker a deal with the leagues in regards to revenue distribution from sports betting.

“They (New Jersey) will have to work out a deal with the leagues; the leagues are going to want to be paid, there will be a delay,” Vincent said.

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