Lottery Head Wants NBA In, Blazers Out
PORTLAND, Ore. — The head of the Oregon Lottery says he’ll recommend the state make National Basketball Assn. games part of its Sports Action betting game, with the exception of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Jim Davey said Monday the Oregon Lottery Commission is expected to meet next week to vote on the proposal.
“Our motivation for not using the Blazers is primarily a courtesy to the Blazers,” Davey said. “They, like the league, are concerned that fans would be more interested in the point spreads than winning or losing the game itself. I don’t think that would happen.”
Last week, NBA Commissioner David Stern came to Oregon to urge the commission not to use NBA games in Sports Action.
Charles Grantham, executive director of the NBA Players Assn., said in Portland recently that the players also oppose Sports Action betting on NBA games.
Davey said he had talked to three of the five lottery commission members “and they indicated they would go along with this recommendation.”
Sports Action is the nation’s only lottery game based on point spreads on professional sports. It began in September.
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