NBA Negotiates About Las Vegas Franchise - Ban on Basketball Gambling Being Discussed - David Stern Wants Las Vegas to Ban NBA Bets

Officials from Las Vegas continues to negotiate with NBA Commissioner David Stern to one day bring an NBA franchise to town. Discussions are stalled at the moment, because Las Vegas officials have refused to pass specific laws to limit gambling on National Basketball Association games.

Vegas has pursued a professional franchise for years. But the Nevada Gaming Board is not willing to let the NBA dictate terms on gambling laws. David Stern, known as a tough negotiator, turned to the local officials, who are similarly unwilling to pass special laws for the sake of basketball.

Despite this impasse, the flirtation continues.

Stern agreed to have the 2007 NBA All-Star Game in Las Vegas. This was unprecedented for a town with no connection to an NBA franchise. The move started talk that Stern and the Vegas officials were plotting together to clear the way for a Las Vegas membership in the association.

After the weekend, Commissioner Stern was critical of facilities at the Thomas & Mack Center were not up to NBA standards. Far from throwing cold water on the idea of an NBA-Las Vegas alliance, this sparked a new round of conspiracy theories. Speculation was that Stern's pronouncement was meant to give Vegas politicians leverage in funding an new local sports arena.

Commissioner Stern announced at a press conference on All-Star weekend that he was willing to listen to proposals from Las Vegas local officials. The locals hoped this meant that Stern was signaling a willingness to compromise on the gambling issue. He has since given indications to the contrary.

Vegas books take in over half a billion dollars a year in NBA and NCAA basketball wagers. Predictably enough, they are dead set against any new anti-gambling laws. But Stern wants to assure the public that it has nothing to fear from an NBA-Sin City partnership. Nothing undermines the public confidence in sports than the idea that games are being fixed.

The NBA is the particularly sensitive about game fixing. The league's often talked-about officiating policies have been a source of criticism over the years. An unofficial practice by referees, called "the star system", supposedly gives the benefit of the doubt to star players on any given NBA team. Critics say this gives an unfair advantage to teams with bigger stars. In the past, David Stern has been quick to punish players and coaches who voice such opinions.

Stern points to a former law that restricted gambling on Nevada college basketball games. This was taken off the books in 2001, because lawmakers thought it appeared hypocritical because it gave tacit admission that gambling was somehow immoral. Since the ban was lifted in 2001, there have been no charges made that UNLV games were rigged.

I'm not sure if the NBA will ever come to Las Vegas. Frankly, Nevada is cutting its throat to pass laws against gambling. If it does it for one pro league, it might set a precedent for other pro sports. No matter what kind of revenue an NBA franchise might bring to the city, it is a drop in the bucket compared to gambling revenues.

On the other hand, David Stern is a hardass. He runs the NBA with an iron fist and is unlikely to compromise when the integrity of his league is in question. No doubt, he has been skilled at spreading the popularity of the league across the globe. He is a skilled negotiator, without doubt.

But it looks to me like the interests of both parties don't match in this case. Both sides want the deal to be made, but I'm just not sure if a deal can be had.

NBA Negotiates About Las Vegas Franchise - Ban on Basketball Gambling Being Discussed - David Stern Wants Las Vegas to Ban NBA Bets