Over 25 Referees Violate NBA Policies on Casino Gambling
October 27, 2007
The NBA has strict rules for their referees about Casino Gambling. The rules prohibit any official from entering a gaming area of a casino or betting of any kind except for at race tracks during offseason. NBA Commissioner David Stern said on Thursday that more than half of his 56 referees had violated the gambling rules. He said none of the referees would be punished due to him feeling the rules were outdated.
"It's too easy to issue rules that are on their faith violated by $5 Nassau, sitting at a poker table, buying a lottery ticket and then we can move along," Stern said after wrapping up the league's Board of Governors meetings. "And by the time I got through and I determined going into a casino isn't a capital offense ... I'm the CEO of the NBA and I'll take responsibility."
Stern decided he would not punish anyone because views on gambling had changed and he would not "penalize people for behavior that I'm about to change." Stern did say that monitoring officiating officials Stu Jackson and Ronnie Nunn will have their positions changed. They are not demotions but expansions. "We are broadening and taking more responsibility and we are doing it with the people that we have and we're going to add to them," Stern said, "but certainly it's not a reduction of responsibility."
During the meeting Stern said there is no proof that any other officials were involved in illegal gambling but almost all of them violated the league policy. Stern believes this policy is too harsh because it involves buying lottery tickets to poker games as well as many other gambling activities that are legal in a law perspective.
Stern stated:"We evolve, we respond, we grow." Time will tell if the NBA rules on gambling will be changed or remain the same for now.
Check Out Other Related Posts on 4Flush
News Article Comments
Got something to say?