The sports betting world watched as the NBA owners took a cue from the NFL owners and locked the players out when the NBA collective bargaining agreement ended on July 1st. The issues in the NBA lockout center mostly around money and both sides fear that the online casino wagering gap between both teams is significant enough that the 2011-2012 season could be affected.

Salary Cap

The biggest point of contention is the salary cap and contracts. The owners want to install a hard salary cap and limit the length of player’s contracts. The owners also want to remove contract guarantees and reduce league salaries by a total of $750 million. The players want nothing to do with a hard salary cap and are not happy with the idea of limiting their earning potential.

Revenue Sharing

Small market teams took a hit in the 2010-2011 season and the league says it needs wage concessions from the players to help the small market teams survive. The players’ salaries are eliminating some teams from being able to compete with larger cities for attracting key players. The league needs to put revenue sharing in place or else some teams may fold.

Basketball Revenue

The players currently get 57 percent of all basketball revenue generated by the league, and the owners want that number lowered. The players countered with an offer of 54.3 percent, but the owners want more movement on that number to bring it closer to a 50/50 split.