Jazz, Mammoth Owner Ryan Smith Calls for Moderation on Sports Betting

Ryan Smith says gambling is here to stay in sports but believes leagues should build guardrails so the fan experience is not overwhelmed.

Ryan Smith, owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz and the NHL's Utah Mammoth, said in an appearance on Front Office Sports' Portfolio Players podcast that sports betting carries serious risks but is now a permanent part of the landscape. He argued that leagues should use their influence to make gambling safer rather than try to eliminate it.

Smith pointed to the harm gambling can cause individuals, noting that lives have been damaged by it. He also described pressure that bettors place on team personnel, saying Jazz head coach Will Hardy regularly hears complaints from fans in the stands about coaching decisions that affect their wagers. In one case, Smith recalled, Hardy told a fan he would cover the bet because he had a game to coach.

Betting volume has grown sharply since the 2018 Supreme Court decision striking down a federal gambling ban. According to the Urban Institute, Americans wagered $167 billion on sports last year across sportsbooks and prediction markets, roughly $119 billion more than in 2021.

The issue is especially sensitive in Utah, where sports betting is illegal and a federal judge ruled in August that state regulators can enforce gambling laws against prediction-market platforms, a decision Kalshi is appealing.

The NBA has official betting partnerships with DraftKings and FanDuel plus other authorized operators, while the NHL has partnerships with 10 sportsbooks and named Kalshi and Polymarket as prediction-market partners last October. The NBA remains in talks on prediction-market deals that could be finalized before the season starts next month, according to FOS sources.

Smith said his view is not about partnership revenue but about the appeal betting holds for many fans, adding that the goal should be moderation so viewers can enjoy sports without gambling taking over the experience.