NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement Monday in reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992.
By a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court ruled the 1992 federal law unconstitutional and gave states the right to create their own sports gambling laws.
“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court opens the door for states to pass laws legalizing sports betting,” Silver said in the statement. “We remain in favor of a federal framework that would provide a uniform approach to sports gambling in states that choose to permit it, but we will remain active in ongoing discussions with state legislatures. Regardless of the particulars of any future sports betting law, the integrity of our game remains our highest priority.”
Before Monday’s vote, the Supreme Court was encouraged to uphold PASPA by the federal government, all four major professional sports leagues in the United States and the NCAA, according to the Associated Press.
The NBA follows Major League Baseball, which also released a statement Monday regarding the Supreme Court's ruling.