Mark Cuban backs Adam Silver's bid to legalize sports betting

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says he thinks sports betting will be legalized throughout the United States in three-to-five years.

Cuban spoke in support of NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Saturday after Silver published an op-ed piece in the New York Times earlier this month calling for the legalization and regulation of sports betting.

"I agree 100 percent," Cuban said, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas. "I think we're the world's biggest hypocrites when we say, 'Oh, we don't want you betting on our games,' and then we get all excited about the sports betting line and people go to Vegas on trips won from the NBA or NFL. I mean, it's hugely hypocritical. ...

"I think over the next three-to-five years, it will change. And it'll be interesting to see how the NFL reacts as well, because they've still so far said that they're adamant against it because I guess they have data that says the NFL doesn't benefit from gambling."

Cuban pointed out basketball fans can legally bet on NBA games in other parts of the world.

"It's crazy that we allow it in the rest of the world but it's really upsetting that sports leagues don't think Americans are good enough to gamble on our sports, but the rest of the world is," he said. "That's un-American."