The position was born, in part, out of experience.
It would create a corrosive atmosphere in which every penalty or dropped pass-the normal ebbs and flows of games-“inevitably will fuel speculation, distrust, and accusations of point-shaving or game-fixing.” The moralist was none other than NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, declaring the league’s opposition to expanding sports bookmaking outside of Nevada. A decade ago, one knowledgeable authority had deep reservations about the idea of the National Football League ever embracing legalized gambling.
