I think things are headed in the right direction for online sports betting in the longer term. My one concern is that the DOJ and the Eliot Ness wannabes will turn their attention to sports betting in the short term.
That said, in another bit of good news, sports broadcaster Brent Musburger expressed his support for sports betting in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated:
SI.com: You are an announcer who mentions the point spread more than most others. Why is that?
Musburger: Because it is an especially big part of football in this country, and I think there are a lot of people that are interested. For example, I was in Las Vegas recently and I made it a point to go to a sports book to ask about this game. They told me the first game had the most money wagered on it of any college football game this year, and they expected this one will exceed that but it would be late action….I think [sports betting] should have been legalized and taxed. One of the first things people ask about a football game is: Who’s favored? And by how much? I know coaches who will look at the point spread and then in a staff meeting say, “What do these guys know that we don’t?” It is a big part of the success of football in this society. I mean, the National Football League, some of the early founders were bookmakers, and horse bettors. These were people I really appreciated and liked.
I know he's only a broadcaster, but guys of Musburger's stature do have a certain degree of influence in society at large.
Link to full interview:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/richard_deitsch/01/05/brentmusburger.qa/index.html
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