US Sports Leagues are Hedging their Bets on Legal Gambling

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Supreme Court prepares to hear a challenge to the federal ban on sports betting, U.S. sports leagues are hedging their bets. The leagues are fighting the case in court, but leaders of the NBA, the NHL and Major League Baseball have said publicly that they're open to sports betting being legalized. They're preparing for a future of expanded gambling and hoping to have a say in how legalization takes effect. Only the NFL has remained steadfast in its opposition, a stance that critics see as hypocritical. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver argued three years ago in a New York Times op-ed that gambling should be legalized. The league continues to oppose a Supreme Court decision striking down the ban because it would prefer to work through Congress.