Raiders Owner Mark Davis Questions Sports Betting as Markets Expand

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis said he is uneasy about sports betting, especially wagers on individual plays, as prediction markets broaden access to contracts tied to game outcomes. Davis said the fast growth of legal sports betting has raised questions about whether oversight is sufficient to protect professional competition.

He singled out proposition bets, which focus on specific occurrences during a game and do not necessarily depend on the final score. “I’m not a fan per se of gambling on sports, especially the one-on-ones, the proposition types of betting,” Davis said.

Davis said professional leagues need to put game integrity first while weighing the substantial revenue gambling can bring. He said he could not say whether the money was worth the risk, adding, “I’m more worried about the game on the field.”

The NFL has embraced sports betting but has not formed official partnerships with prediction market operators. It has taken a cautious approach amid concerns about oversight and the integrity of competition. Prediction markets let users trade contracts tied to sporting event outcomes.

In October, the NFL argued in a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that prediction markets are gambling and should be regulated by states. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called for stronger regulation in September, saying the league could be patient as it considered its approach and should protect the integrity of competition.

Davis also has business ties to sports gambling. The Raiders and Las Vegas Aces, which he owns, partner with BetMGM. Davis said MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle played an important role in his purchase of the Aces.

Davis recalled a time when the NFL took a harder line on gambling, including a locker-room sign warning players they could face suspension or leave the league. He moved the Raiders from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020, bringing the city its first NFL franchise.