With the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments well underway, CBS Sunday Morning aired a feature on the surge of sports betting during March Madness.
Among the people correspondent Luke Burbank spoke to about the growing popularity and mainstream acceptance of sports gambling was Brent Musburger. Musburger has always acknowledged betting in his broadcasting work, but has arguably become the sports media voice of sports gambling with his work for VSIN (Vegas Stats & Information Network) as betting reaches greater prominence throughout the country.
“Take a look around these casinos, okay?” Musburger said to Burbank. “They ain’t getting any smaller.”
Related: Brent Musburger’s living his dream talking sports gambling in Vegas
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Last week, North Carolina joined the 20 states, along with Washington D.C., that allow some form of sports gambling.
The report nodded to Musburger’s past career with CBS with archival footage and his role in introducing sports betting to viewers. But his appearance in the feature provided a bit of nostalgia for longtime fans and viewers who watched Musburger rise to prominence broadcasting play-by-play and anchoring studio coverage for the network. Generations of football fans grew up with Musburger as the face of the NFL on CBS.
Burbank also talked to a few gamblers at a Las Vegas casino about how frequently they bet, their success, and best bets for the tournament. He also highlighted the revenues that legalized sports betting has created for states such as Colorado, which has generated millions of dollars from gambling to fund water projects.
Musburger advised caution to people wanting to jump into sports betting for more than fun, especially younger people who think they might get rich. But he also dismissed those who look down on gambling as representing a seedier side of society.
“Listen, when the country was founded, they took a chance,” said Musburger. “I mean, they came across the ocean. They didn’t know what the hell was at the other end. It was founded by speculators. It was founded by guys who gambled with their family’s life!”
[CBS News]
