For decades, professional sports leagues wanted nothing to do with gambling. There was sin, there was mortal sin and then there was gambling. If athletes were anywhere in the vicinity of a wager, it would bring the integrity of the games they played into question. That was the thinking. The 1919 Black Sox scandal wasn’t just a cautionary tale. It was a horror story come true.
And now? Now that sports betting is legal in the United States, team owners are the first ones down the waterslide that leads to an ocean of money. At Wrigley Field, you’ll soon be able to wager to your heart’s desire, and to your heirs’ eternal regret, at DraftKings Sportsbook, which is adjacent to the ballpark. The FanDuel Lounge inside the United Center is likewise waiting for license approval from the state of Illinois. Wherever the Bears end up building their new stadium – Decatur? – fans surely will be able to plunk down some money at a sports betting facility there. A year ago, the White Sox named Caesars Sportsbook as their official sports betting partner, which was nice of them.
