Lots of sports betting issues being kicked around by governments, courts, and the media right now. And those issues being raised generate a lot of questions. Let’s try to answer a few.
Q. Is Delaware set for full scale sports betting this fall?
A. It sure looks that way. The professional sports leagues had an emergency request to delay implementation of Delaware sports betting denied. They’ve appealed that ruling but it looks like Delaware sports betting is a go, at least until a December trial, where the leagues will sue to stop it.
It appears as though harness tracks Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway will be joined by thoroughbred plant Delaware Park in offering full scale sports wagering this fall. The tracks have invested millions to create sports book facilities. Vegas-style sports betting on college and pro sports kicks off on September 1st.
Q. Can anything else derail Delaware’s plan?
A. Senate Republicans Orrin Hatch of Utah and John Kyl of Arizona, longtime foes of gambling, wrote a letter to Attorney General Holder asking him to take action in Delaware. Tough to see the Obama Justice Department bending over backwards to accomodate that duo.
Q. New Jersey’s casinos can’t be happy about this, can they?
A. Not at all, this new challenge comes at a time when Atlantic City casino revenues are plummeting. There appears to be considerable momentum in the Garden State to legalize sports betting in an effort to counter Delaware’s foray into not only sports betting, but casino gambling as well. The problem is that Delaware, along with Oregon, Montana, and Nevada, is allowed to offer sports betting under federal law. When Congress banned sports betting in the US back in 1992, those four states were grandfathered, as they had all allowed sports betting in some form or fashion previously. Nevada’s offerings you’re aware of. Oregon, Montana, and Delaware’s previous offerings have all failed to stick. But those states can offer sports betting without a change in federal law. The same cannot be said for New Jersey.
Q. What about Barney Frank’s online gambling legislation?
A. Even if it passed, Frank’s legislation would not help sports bettors. It specifically exempts sports betting, and like-minded legislation by Senator Menendez introduced more recently covers only poker.
Q. What’s so special about poker, and why is poker being treated differently than sports betting?
A. Follow the money. The poker sites poured a bunch of money into lobbying and marketed it beautifully, making it look like a grassroots effort by enlisting the support of poker players all over the web. Hiring former Senator from New York Alfonse D’Amato as spokesman/lobbyist was a shrewd move. Meanwhile, the NFL has spent boatloads of money lobbying against sports betting. There’s no similar organized effort for sports betting.
This is from Sports and Gaming from Kevin O'Neill, who operates Real World Sports.
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