As the NBA continues to grow, the 2023-24 season saw a surge in several elements. With the In-Season Tournament working wonders, their TV viewership saw a significant rise. Moreover, alongside an increase in talent, scoring, fan interactions, and max deals, another element also shows huge numbers – betting. Sports betting has become a major way fans experience the game, going through the thrills of each buzzer-beater like the players on the court.

While the NBA utilizes fans’ passion to craft a business module, Indiana Pacers‘ star Tyrese Haliburton shows signs of disappointment. In a recent interview, Haliburton highlighted the negative impact of the changed approach on fans. Quipping himself and NBA players as “props“, he claimed “To half the world, I’m just helping them make money on DraftKings or whatever” based on his recent social media interactions.

Haliburton is usually a people person, spreading smiles even when meeting fans in a grocery store. With that, while he finds the hilarity in fans’ complaints of their failed parleys, his frustrations got the best of him as he said, “It can be funny sometimes like I lost a $1000. Now, I don’t give a f**k.”

Haliburton clearly resonates a changed perspectives of the fans. NBA fans, behind their passion, can sometimes be overwhelming even for the seasoned professionals. Even when not calibrating a betting approach, Haliburton might have faced some heat from fans; due to Indiana’s recent stints.

The Pacers started the season on fire and making the In-Season Tournament finals. However, they have since fell from one of the top teams to 7th in the East. Now, with chances of their playoff entry hanging in balance, they are separated just .5 games from either spot. Interestingly, regardless of Tyrese’s comments, it looks like the NBA has plans to still keep the fans rooting.

NBA adds gambling to league pass

Despite NBA players highlighting the negative encounters around sports betting, the NBA is pressing heavily on encouraging it amongst fans. In a recently statement, the NBA announced that they plan on implementing an option to parlay within their League Pass. The league will collaborate with Sportradar, data leader within the niche segment, to introduce an in-app functionality.

This will enable fans to calculate their betting odds on a single window, and then redirecting them to the league’s gambling partners.

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Till now, the feature has only rolled in for mobile devices, with further plans for extending compatibility. While the feature is available in all regions, one’s ability to bet depends on the state-laws regarding sports betting.