Raiders owner Mark Davis concerned about the growth of sports betting

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis questioned the growing role of betting in professional sports. Davis said he was especially uncomfortable with one-on-one and proposition bet types. In his view, these kinds of bets could damage fans' confidence in the integrity of competition.

Speaking to CNBC Sports, Davis acknowledged that these bet types bring significant revenue to leagues and team owners. However, he questioned whether that revenue was worth the consequences that could arise for professional games. Davis stressed that people have to believe in the game. He openly said he did not have a definitive answer on the issue.

Davis recalled that the NFL once applied a much harsher policy toward betting. He described seeing a sign reading "No gambling whatsoever" in a locker room when he was young, and said that anyone who placed bets could face penalties or be removed from the league. Today, the spread of prediction market platforms in the United States raises the question of how the NFL will regulate them.

Davis also referred to a study the Raiders conducted before moving from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020. He said it showed that Las Vegas was one of the safest places in terms of concerns about betting. Even so, he noted that the widespread growth of betting creates new challenges for leagues in terms of oversight and ensuring player compliance. It is also worth noting that Davis owns the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces. These comments came after a recent wave of betting-related investigations in North American sports.