How The League Went On Defense

What’s changed in the three years since the Supreme Court granted all 50 states the right to legalize sports betting? Everything. By the end of 2021, online or in-person wagering will be sanctioned in more than half the country. Revenue is skyrocketing. Leagues are evangelizing. And booming business means big changes for anyone who operates, plays, covers—or bets on—the games we love. Welcome to The Gambling Issue.

In 2007 the NBA was rocked by the most significant sports bet-ting scandal in modern history when Tim Donaghy, a referee with 13 years of experience, was arrested on charges that he provided insider information to professional gamblers. Donaghy’s arrest—he would later plead guilty…