Here’s the latest sign MLB is ready to embrace sports gambling

Baseball could be the next sport to embrace gambling and sports wagering.

For years, sports gambling has been a major tenant of fandom around professional teams.

Some leagues (NFL, NBA) have realized this and tried to at least find their piece of the pie in the millions of dollars wagered, spent and advertised on the business. Now it’s Major League Baseball’s turn to jump in.

According to the New York Post, an executive associated with a MLB team met with a bookmaker last week.

A major league sports team executive met with the owner of a bookmaker last week to pitch sponsorship opportunities, The Post has learned.

While leagues have looked to grab a piece of the what could become a $10 billion-a-year sports gambling business in New Jersey — mostly through a hoped-for 1 or 2 percent integrity fee attached to each wager — the revelation that individual teams may now be interested in partnerships means in-stadium advertising for bookmakers could be coming down the road.

Yankees overpaid or underpaid?

Next up: A sport-led ruling over team sponsorships with gambling outlets.

Major League Baseball is expected to come up soon with a policy about team sponsorships with bookmakers, a source close to the league said, should the ruling allow such bets.

“My sense is baseball has no hard line” against associating with sports betting firms, the source said.

How would this look? In-game and in-stadium sponsorship is most likely. Don’t be surprised if the “DraftKings fifth inning” is a phrase that comes through on television or radio sometime in the very near future.

Joe Giglio may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.