Sports Betting Available in Delaware USA

Published: Friday, May 15, 2009 Online-Casinos.com

Delaware will become the fourth state in the USA to legalize sports betting. Governor Jack Markell's proposal was voted on May 13th by the state's Congress. Joining the other states of Nevada, Oregon, and Montana, implementation of the Delaware Sports Lottery, will allow the state to handle parlay betting from its citizens.

Pleased with the results of the vote, Markell said, " It's time to move forward and ensure the Delaware Sports Lottery is a success. This will generate critical revenue to help fund our core commitments.... I am very pleased the Senate acted so quickly." The move is expected to generate $50 million next year in new taxes, which will go toward bringing down the state's $800 million deficit. The Governor is moving towards having the Delaware Supreme Court rule on the legality of head-to-head betting.

As in all controversial acts of government, there are those who feel this is a step in the wrong direction for the state, both the NCAA and NFL lobbied against the legislation.

Greg Aeillo, the National Football League spokesperson stated that sports betting opponents, "expect that everyone involved in the administration of sports leagues-professional and amateur-will review today's action and evaluate its impact as other decisions are made by Delaware officials and the Delaware Supreme Court." The league's official position is that football is a game of skill and cannot be legally considered a game of chance. On May 21st, the court will have a hearing to consider the opposition's concerns.

Feedback from citizens prompted comments such as this, "In order to survive this recession, we're going to have to consider every possible source of revenue. Since people are gambling anyway, I see no reason why we can't legalize it, tax it, and use that money to provide people with unemployment insurance, health care, and basic infrastructure improvements."