Despite being in the gambling capital of the United States, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis has reservations about sports betting's increasingly prominent role in professional sports.
- Mark Davis expressed reservations about sports betting, particularly prop bets and one-on-one wagers.
- The Raiders owner said leagues must balance game integrity against the substantial revenue generated by sports betting.
- Davis questioned whether the growth of sports betting could undermine fans' trust in professional sports.
“I’m not a fan per se of gambling on sports, especially the one-on-ones, the proposition types of betting,” Davis told CNBC Sports’ Michael Ozanian on Thursday.
Davis' comments come as the NFL takes a cautious approach to prediction market partnerships, citing concerns about regulation and game integrity.
“I think the key thing is the integrity of the game,” Davis said. “I remember growing up that there was a big sign in the locker room as you walked out that door that said, ‘No Gambling Whatsoever.’”
Protecting game integrity
“Now that (sports betting has) opened up across the country, there’s nothing over it to make sure that it stays on the up and up,” he said, referring to league oversight, regulation, and player compliance. “But the revenue that is coming from gambling and those types of entities is large.”
Davis acknowledged that U.S. sports betting brings significant financial benefits to the league but said those gains must be weighed against concerns about integrity.
“There has to be a balance between integrity and the good things that it can bring to the league,” he said.
His concerns reflect a broader challenge for professional sports, as leagues across North America continue to grapple with gambling-related controversies, including player betting violations and investigations into potential game manipulation.
“When we moved to Las Vegas, we did a study,” Davis explained. “And it showed that Las Vegas was probably the one place in the country where it was safe for gambling (concerns) because they had so much oversight.”
The Raiders and Davis' WNBA team, the Las Vegas Aces, both have partnerships with BetMGM. Davis also credited MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle with influencing his decision to join the Aces' ownership group. Despite those business ties, Davis remains uncertain about the potential risks to professional sports.
“People have to believe in the game,” Davis said. “Is it worth the risk? I don’t know. I can’t answer that.”
