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ESPN.com has come out with a report on the major sports leagues embracing of the gambling industry after years of intolerance.
The sports media outlet points out a number of recent examples:
The NFL in April became a part owner of newly formed Sportradar US, the subsidiary of a Swiss company that provides real-time statistics, scores and odds to bookmakers, including, according to gambling industry sources, multiple offshore sportsbooks that offer illegal betting in the U.S.
Last July, the NBA, through its ownership stake in FanDuel, became part owner of numberFire, a New York tech company that offers sophisticated analysis for daily fantasy and sports wagering, including betting recommendations on the league's own games.
Shortly after the World Series in November, Major League Baseball signed a deal with a London-based company, Sport Integrity Monitor, to monitor betting lines and identify suspicious betting activity that might indicate fixed games. SportIM's parent company sets odds and provides software for legal bookmakers in Europe and Asia.
"It’s a critical part of their future revenue,” notes gaming industry attorney Jeff Ifrah. “You can’t ignore that.”
- Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com
