Can you even believe this story? Jazz head coach Will Hardy straight-up told a fan during a game, “dude, I’ll cover your bet. I gotta coach here.” That’s not some wild rumor, that’s according to Jazz and Mammoth owner Ryan Smith, and it shows just how wild the whole sports betting situation has gotten for players and coaches alike. Smith has some serious concerns about the downsides of betting and prediction markets, even as he knows they’re not going anywhere.
The “Lives Destroyed” And The $167 Billion Problem
Smith isn’t shy about the risks. He told Front Office Sports that “We’ve seen lives destroyed, people destroyed, because of it.” Think about that. We’re talking about real human cost here. And the scale? It’s mind-boggling. Since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturned a federal gambling ban, sports betting has absolutely exploded. Last year alone, Americans bet a staggering $167 billion on sports through traditional sportsbooks and prediction-market platforms. That’s a ridiculous $119 billion, or 192%, more than what was bet in 2021. It’s not just individual bettors facing problems either. Coaches like Hardy are feeling the heat directly, with fans in the stands complaining when a coaching decision might impact their parlay, like pulling a player who’s one rebound shy of what a gambler needs. It’s “part of the game” now, Smith said, but man, it’s a messy part.
Leagues Trying to Keep Up: Guardrails and Partnerships
So, if it’s not going away, what’s the answer? Smith believes the leagues, like the NBA and NHL where he owns teams, have a responsibility to implement guardrails and make betting safer for consumers. Both leagues are trying to do exactly that with traditional sports betting. The NBA has official betting partners like DraftKings and FanDuel, plus other authorized operators such as BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbooks. The NHL is right there with them, boasting partnerships with ten sportsbooks in the U.S. and Canada, including DraftKings and FanDuel. Prediction markets are a different beast, though. The NHL jumped in last October with Kalshi and Polymarket as official partners, while the NBA is still in talks, with agreements possibly coming by the time the regular season tips off next month. Smith’s view isn’t about the money from these partnerships; he says it’s about making games more interactive, where “Everyone has some sort of skin in the game, per se.”
For Smith, the battle isn’t against betting itself. It’s about preserving the core sports experience so it doesn’t get completely swallowed by gambling. “It’s not going away,” he said, and we need “a little more moderat.” It means we gotta figure out how to keep the focus on the actual game and the athletes, even as the digital component of betting grows. What’s next? Will other leagues adopt similar stances? Will that NBA prediction market deal happen soon? We’ll be watching to see how the leagues try to keep the integrity of the game front and center.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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