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Adam Silver confident sports betting will be legalized in the next few years

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

Adam Silver has been the most vocal commissioner of the four major American sports leagues in the past about his desire to see betting on games legalized across America.

Alongside the NFL's Roger Goodell, MLB's Rob Manfred, and NHL's Gary Bettman on Tuesday night at a panel titled, "GameChangers: Creating the Future of Sports," Silver projected more and more states joining the four that have already legalized sports betting (Nevada, Montana, Delaware, and Oregon) in the not-too-distant future.

"My sense is the law will change in the next few years in the United States," Silver said when questioned about gambling, according to ESPN's Ben Fawkes.

Silver also mentioned how in-game betting provides a more entertaining experience for fans who choose to take part.

"People want to bet throughout the game ... It results in enormous additional engagement with the fans," he added.

In a 2014 New York Times op-ed "Legalize and Regulate Sports Betting," Silver wrote that sports betting needed to be "brought out of the underground, and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated."

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