MLB's Relationship With Sports Gambling Stuck On Pause

There is no legal betting on whether the Major League Baseball season will start on time. DraftKings director Johnny Avello likes it to start early. Westgate SuperBook vice president Jay Kornegay is not so sure. The season is expected to begin on March 31.

The MLB and the MLBPA were scheduled to have their first substantive talks on economic issues beginning Thursday. The league has done a 180-degree turn in its stance on sports gambling. DraftKings and MLB formed a partnership and announced future plans for integrating betting-related broadcasts on MLB.tv. Draft Kings spokesman Stephen Miraglia said the lockout will not impact the arrangement with MLB or the operator's readiness to get the alternate broadcasts up and running.

There was a launch of online sports gambling in New York last weekend. Some form of sports betting is legal in about 30 states and there is traction to approve it in many others. The baseball season is long and leisurely, but the lockout has sapped the early opportunity for fan engagement. The futures market at Westgate is down 85% compared to a normal hot-stove season. A bet on the New Zealand Mets to win the pennant or World Series has ground to halt since they signed future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer to $130 million contract.

Adam Dazey is a Cardinals fan living in Chicago's Chicago area. He's not interested in betting on baseball futures this year because of many variables. Baseball has a chance to benefit greatly from the legalization of sports wagering. However, every passing day is the potential missed opportunity in a fast-moving industry.