Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, has been an early proponent of legalized sports betting. But his zeal has gone a little too far. The league proposes to help itself to an 
“integrity fee” of $1 out of every $100 wagered. According to the American Gaming Association, this would rob sports books of anywhere from 20% to 29% of their overall revenue. AGA President Geoff Freeman minced no words, labeling the NBA’s help-thyself a “skim.” The AGA also reminded the NBA that the money would reduce the taxable proceeds available to state and local governments, and that by imposing a set-aside on sports books, “Money that goes directly to the leagues distorts the odds that legal bookmakers are able to provide and encourages Americans to continue to operate criminally in the illegal market.” Surely the league doesn’t want that. We don’t.
* Here’s one thing David Copperfield can’t make go “Poof!” Sexual assault charges were filed against him with the FBI in 2007 and have returned to dog his footsteps once again. The alleged incident took place all the way back in 1988. Accuser Brittney Lewis says she isn’t seeking compensation and is presumably wanting to add her voice to the “Time’s up!” movement. Copperfield’s public response was “Always listen, and consider everything carefully. But please, for everyone’s sake, don’t rush to judgment.” Copperfield is accused of intoxicating and fellating Lewis when she was only 17 (and in an impaired state). Like Bill Clinton, Copperfield seems to have rationalized that it wasn’t sex because there was no penetration. The ’07 FBI probe stemmed mainly from charges by model Lacey Carroll, but she proved to be an unreliable narrator. Copperfield played the victim card himself, saying, “I’ve lived with years of news reports about me being accused of fabricated, heinous acts, with few telling the story of the accuser getting arrested, and my innocence. Knowing that false accusers can negatively impact the believability of others and are a true disservice to those who have been victims of sexual misconduct, I didn’t draw attention to it.” Considering that Lewis’ previous accusation did not result in any charges of statutory rape, it looks like Copperfield will ultimately weather this latest storm.
* The Vici Properties IPO looks to be a success, having traded mostly toward the upper end of the stock’s range and bringing in $1 billion. If MGM Growth Properties still wants to buy Vici it will have to bring a bigger checkbook. Jim Murren‘s strategy is inscrutable, considering that Vici is mostly comprised of small, regional casinos and Murren’s stated focus is shoring up MGM Resorts International‘s position on the Las Vegas Strip and building international megaresorts — although at $10 billion, Murren’s bid for Japan could be his undoing.
