Safe bet: Wagering will kill NBA deal

Two schools of thought exist on the idea of an NBA franchise in Las Vegas and whether it should be fair game at sports books. Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, has thrived as a businessman by thinking outside the box.

He has no problem with the link between sports books and a local basketball team.

"I can only speak for myself, but I want betting on games," Cuban said.

He made it a point to emphasize that his opinion is not necessarily shared by the league's front office, but that has been obvious for some time. Cuban and NBA commissioner David Stern are at odds on the sports wagering issue as it relates to a potential Las Vegas team.

Stern's stance is a conservative one, and his message has been simplistic: The NBA will not do business with Las Vegas as long as sports books are taking bets on its games.

Soon after the NBA All-Star Game was held in Las Vegas in February, a line was drawn between Stern and the sports books. And the question remains, will that line be crossed?

On April 5, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman sent a written proposal to the league addressing Nevada's legalized wagering. Goodman, after consulting with the state's most powerful gaming executives, declared no NBA games should be banned from the betting boards.

At the time, Goodman said, "I think it was the appropriate stance for Las Vegas. This is a starting point. This is not an ending point."

He hinted at a potential compromise, but any semblance of one seems unnecessary, and the thought of Nevada casinos bending to appease the NBA makes many in the gaming industry cringe.

Jimmy Vaccaro, a bookmaker for more than 30 years, said the day never should come when Las Vegas agrees to take all NBA games off the board to land a franchise.

"That would never fly," Vaccaro said. "I would never, ever compromise to any league. It's not going to happen. I could be wrong, but I would put up whatever money I have right now."

Some believe the gambling issue might block a merger between the NBA and Las Vegas. Others believe a new arena is a bigger obstacle.

"The biggest hurdle right now is there not being a team that has applied to move," Cuban said.

Goodman is working to take care of the arena plan. Once that is done, smart money says a franchise -- either from the NBA or NHL -- will become available and the hot-button issue once again will become the sports books.

The NHL is desperate for attention and in no position to make demands. The NBA has more bargaining leverage.

But in negotiations, only a fool makes concessions on an initial proposal, so the letter Goodman sent to the NBA was by all means appropriate.

"I've only had minimal discussions with a few owners that I won't name. Some agree with me; some don't," Cuban said. "I understand the point of view of others, but if gambling is legal, it's legal. Plain and simple.

"I think it's hypocritical to say that we can be where you can be on everything else, but if you bet on our sport, or on our team, that's wrong."

Vaccaro, public relations director for Leroy's sports books, said he doubts the "bigwigs and power brokers" at Nevada's major casinos will consider taking down all NBA games. It's not only a matter of principle, it's a meaningful economic decision.

"The little guy gets crushed," said Vaccaro, stressing the importance of NBA wagering to smaller books. "How would it affect the rest of the state? What do they care in Reno and Carson City if there's an NBA team here and they can't book the NBA?

"Is it good for the MGM Mirage to have an NBA team here? I don't think it makes a difference. It doesn't impact the bottom line."

MGM Mirage sports book director Robert Walker said the gambling issue, at least from the NBA's standpoint, is mostly about perception. The truth, he said, is Nevada's sports books should make no apologies for how they do business.

As part of the deal to bring the All-Star Game to the Thomas & Mack Center, Stern insisted sports books not take action on it, so a one-time exception was made.

"My personal standpoint is I think it's a mistake to give up any of the games," Walker said. "When you start down this road, it's a real slippery slope. How far do you want to go to have an NBA team here?"

One option for compromise -- the only one, Vaccaro said -- is to take the Las Vegas team's home games off the board.

"That's a little different because you're only talking about one game for 41 nights a year," Vaccaro said. "That's the only way I think it's possible."

But that raises what Walker calls a "contentious issue," and that's the legal wagering on UNLV and UNR basketball and football games.

There is no justification for a betting ban on pro basketball if the local college games are on the board, he said.