Gary Bettman says NHL wants cut of gambling action
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LeHab
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- Aug 31, 2005
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As a fan how would you like to benefit from gambling given the business context of the talk here? You can spend your money there and hope for a return or you can ignore it. Those businesses still pay taxes and employ people which hopefully benefits your community and is not siphoned by offshore betting sites or underground shady characters.
In pro sports, we have businesses running the show. You spend money on merchandise, game seats/TV, concessions, experiences...As a fan, best way to send a message is to speak with your wallet. No need to spend 400$ for a seat if you don't believe value is there.
Not every sport is run like a business, you can still pick up a few buddies, a basketball head to a public court and have a great time.
Fantomas
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They pay taxes, but usually not nearly enough. Businessmen who own professional teams get considerable tax breaks under the pretense that they are job creators and innovators. And taxpayers continue to foot the bill to keep franchises from leaving. It has become common to see public money funneled into large projects such as the construction of stadiums.
As you say, hopefully what these businesses do will "benefit your community." One hopes, which is why I raised the question of what we get out of this. How do fans and how do communities benefit in the scenario of the NHL making money on betting? This should be one of the first questions for us to ask, if something like this were to happen.
Bettman wants that dough and I want to know what he will do with that dough. Any claims that money would be used to "grow the game" should be viewed with a lot of suspicion. The only growth I see is in the pocket area of some really rich people.
JuniorNelson
Registered User
What do you want Bettman to say "We don't want any part the gambling action"....that would be foolish. The NBA just signed a mega deal with MGM Grand
LeHab
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Business does not really want to commodify sport but monetize it. In fact they don't want leagues to be commodities but rather something unique, differentiating and special so that when they slap a logo and name on a 10$ generic shirt you will pay ten times the price and still feel good.
Most of us have options to go watch beer/kids league for free or pay the big bucks to see the pros. This is where you speak with your wallet and time. What the business does with that earned money is their choice they don't have to justify to us - we don't vote them in (unless you are a shareholder).
As for government involvement, have to speak with votes when the time comes.
I personally don't like gambling and don't spend on it. However some love this experience and happily throw money in such activities. Once again their choice to make. In my area most lotteries/casinos are province run so at least a portion goes back to support local activities.
LeHab
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Was this really a deal breaker in the past. In Canada, sport gambling has been legal, albeit mostly govt run, and we haven't heard much concerns.
Tom ServoMST3K
In search of a Steinbach Hero
Fantomas
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edog37
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the only return on investment fans get is enjoyment of the game & if your team does well. And that's all you should get. You are buying into a commodity which you do not own. You can choose to not invest in said commodity, but you have no responsibility beyond that. The owners do. So, no the fans have no investment in this nor should they reap a benefit beyond which they are not so entitled...
edog37
Registered User
similar, though slightly different. The NHL's position is that the players (whom are under contract to the league) are being used without some sort of compensation back to the league. I think the league has a good point here. The IOC does not "own" these players, they are merely being lended to the IOC at great cost to the league.
edog37
Registered User
They benefit because they take on the risk. You as a fan take on zero economic risk, other than the cost of a ticket. Huge difference....
Fantomas
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Interesting then that owners get to reap the benefits of public money, while communities get the scraps.
But you're already converted, so why bother convincing you otherwise.
Fantomas
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YEM
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perhaps because the NHL was one of the 4 main plaintiffs in the case to stop New Jersey from legalizing gambling?
the NHL can get a cut if they want, there's a sportsbook now in NJ just a few miles from the league's main offices in Manhattan, hire a runner, they can place bets for you.
BKIslandersFan
F*** off
Supreme Court changed the landscape. So now NHL might as well try to profit from it.
YEM
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it's just the utter shamelessness of the hypocrisy that really frosts my balls
I'd have a different point of view [somewhat] if the NHL came out and supported the fight [and it was a fight-years of various cases in different courts, millions spent on legal fees] to legalize and now want a cut but this is just ridiculous...
BKIslandersFan
F*** off
mouser
Business of Hockey
They accepted that the sports gambling landscape has changed and are now readjusting their objectives in light of that change.
Couldn't have said it better. Kinda like Molson/Coors fighting tooth and nail against the legalization of marijuana.......now that it's becoming legal, they're developing a marijuana infused beer. Either adapt or die
YEM
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that's way different-those beer companies are simply entering a market, not sitting back and just demanding a cut
IMO Gary & the NHL are going to be SOL on this request anyways...
Llama19
Registered User
Weekly Reader: The NHL's approach to gambling
To quote:
""We're about 1 percent of the book. Our game doesn't lend itself to gambling in the same way that football and basketball do," said commissioner Gary Bettman in 2016.
This has been true for decades. Simply put, hockey doesn't traditionally have enough events to entice widespread interest from gamblers. Even in a season where scoring was at its highest levels league-wide since 2006, we're still talking about more 2-1 games than 7-6 games. It's not a sport that lends itself to straight up point spreads. And let's face it: a novice bettor could develop a migraine if they're staring at a wall of money lines.
"From our standpoint, we believe that whether it's our intellectual property or data, whether it's video of our game, we have important assets. And if somebody is going to avail themselves or want to avail themselves of those assets in order to conduct their business, then we're going to need to have a negotiation," he [Bettman] said.
The NHL knows that a lack of interest from gamblers has stunted the league's growth in the U.S., in comparison to the popularity of pro and college football and basketball."
Source: www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/24273358/nhl-weekly-reader-gary-bettman-wants-cut-gambling-just-wants-profit-data
To quote:
""We're about 1 percent of the book. Our game doesn't lend itself to gambling in the same way that football and basketball do," said commissioner Gary Bettman in 2016.
This has been true for decades. Simply put, hockey doesn't traditionally have enough events to entice widespread interest from gamblers. Even in a season where scoring was at its highest levels league-wide since 2006, we're still talking about more 2-1 games than 7-6 games. It's not a sport that lends itself to straight up point spreads. And let's face it: a novice bettor could develop a migraine if they're staring at a wall of money lines.
"From our standpoint, we believe that whether it's our intellectual property or data, whether it's video of our game, we have important assets. And if somebody is going to avail themselves or want to avail themselves of those assets in order to conduct their business, then we're going to need to have a negotiation," he [Bettman] said.
The NHL knows that a lack of interest from gamblers has stunted the league's growth in the U.S., in comparison to the popularity of pro and college football and basketball."
Source: www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/24273358/nhl-weekly-reader-gary-bettman-wants-cut-gambling-just-wants-profit-data
edog37
Registered User
Let me know when you invest hundreds of millions of dollars & face public scorn over every decision you make as an owner. Again, fans are owed nothing beyond what they put in....& in the grand scheme of things, it really is very little. You are owed nothing...
