In the face of a legal challenge from every major sports league (sorry, UFC and MLS and PGA and WWE) to its brand-new plan of legalized gambling, the state of Delaware will “vigorously defend” its effort to raise funds for publicly-provide services and to improve the local economy.
That vow came this afternoon from Joe Rogalsky, spokesman for Delaware Governor Jack A. Markell.
In a telephone interview, Rogalsky addressed the lawsuit, and the efforts of Delaware to address the concerns expressed by the NFL and other sports leagues.
“The Governor sought and received an advisory opinion from the Supreme Court, and invited the NFL to sit down and discuss their concerns,” Rogalsky said. “Instead, they sued us today.”
Rogalsky explained that the NFL and the other leagues raised only general concerns regarding the integrity of their sports. Rogalsky said that Delaware is attempting to address these concerns by working directly with experts in the private sector to help formulate regulations and procedures that will be utilized.
He promised that Delaware will adopt a “strong framework” aimed at ensuring the integrity of the sports on which wagers are placed.
Specific details weren’t provided, largely because the plan is still a work in progress.
The legal challenge focuses primarily on Delaware’s intention to allow single-game betting. The sports leagues contend that such wagering violates the Delaware Constitution, and falls beyond the scope of the exception to the federal law banning as of January 1, 1993 all sports betting by the various states.
Interestingly, the Delaware Supreme Court declined to include that point in its opinion that the new gambling law complies with the Delaware Constitution. The NFL has argued that all forms of sports betting violate the Delaware Constitution, which permits lotteries based only on games of chance. In the NFL’s opinion, wagering on sports involves more skill than chance.
And we agree. Though some believe that, if the betting line is set properly, picking a winner is akin to flipping a coin. But the lines aren’t set with an eye toward ensuring a 50-50 chance that one side or the other will prevail against the spread. Instead, the purpose of the line is to coax equal betting on each side of it.
Locally popular teams (like the Eagles) might see the line skewed because of the emotional factors that routinely influence bettors. The skill arises from the ability of gamblers to spot those situations in which an erroneous perception by the general betting public has affected the line.
Coincidentally, Delaware had to shutter its last foray into football gambling more than 30 years ago, due to a “bad line” that forced Delaware to draw upon emergency funds to pay off the winners, in order to avoid having their thumbs broken by Jerry Seinfeld.
Rogalsky explained that Delaware wasn’t relying upon an experienced professional to set the lines in 1976. This time, Delaware plans to hire true experts to assist with the process.
Whether Delaware actually ever needs those services remains to be seen. The issues raised by the NFL and the other sports leagues are fairly straightforward, and the federal courts should be able to resolve this one without extensive court proceedings.
We’ll be following it, primarily since it meshes with the day job that I thought I was abandoning more than three weeks ago.
Woo Hoo you called the NHL a major sports league
RATINGS SYSTEM!!!!!!
If the Delaware Supremes have issued an advisory that Delaware can, then this is a done deal. The US Supremes aren’t going to say you can in Nevada but you can’t in Delaware.
The US Supremes are going to say whats good in Nevada is good in Delaware and every other state.
Tell them why and what they will win Florio!
Wrong video.
Numbers racket was immoral and run by “thugs.”. Now the suits and ties run it , it is perfectly moral!
Same for slots, horses, casinos, lotteries!
Hypocrisy knows no bounds!
Obviously Florio and NBC Sports have a relationship with the NFL…..This I understand and can’t fault
But honestly…
Time for Deleware, Louisiana, California and a few other states to join NJ’s lawsuit against PASPA. It violates the 10th Amendment by allowing the Federal Gov’t to interfere with what constitutionally is governed by the individual states.
Somebody needs to file a class action Lawsuit against these holier than thou sports leagues for collusion and anti-trust violations.
Delaware’s response should be “Okay. NFL, NBA, MLB et..all…You want to stop us?
Why? Where’s the lawsuit against Vegas? Where is your complaint to the WTO to stop gambling on your respective sports internationally because it degrades the integrity of the game. Hell…There isn’t even a professsional sports team in Delaware.
To add to that…. Hey, NFL where’s your lawsuit against ESPN.
You mean to tell me…. they have shows and segments dedicated to analyzing injury reports and spreads……just for the benefit of 1/100 of their viewing audience????
Hypocritical NFL and NCAA…..They have stated that any state that legalizes gambling will forfeit the right to have a professional sports team or host any type of extracirricular activity.
Well NCAA…….You have the Las Vegas Bowl…How do explain that???
Oh and NFL??? A game a year in the UK….Guess what Comish – If nobody’s told you yet..Sportsbetting is legal in the UK.
It’s also legal in Canada…..Guess the Bills games in Toronto don’t count.
Roger Godell, Stern, Selig aren’t GODS….The sooner they realize this the better we’ll all be..
Absolute Power, corrupts…Absolutely….Ever hear that one Godell…….
“In the NFL’s opinion, wagering on sports involves more skill than chance.”
If that’s the opinion of the NFL……Then it’s not really gambling…is it???
If you understand sports……Understand trends and percentages…..then it could be considered….investing…..
Comish….you may want to re-think your argument…You just may be opening Pandora’s Box.
!!!!!!METSYS SGNITAR
How does a “federal law” trump the 10th Amendment anyway?
Legal or otherwise, I can gamble in all 50 states, offshore, anywhere I want.
Do you really think the kind of person who would be willing to bribe/fix/whatever to get the “edge” on a game would really, really be waiting for gambling to be legal before he does so?
Duh.
If it is illegal to bet, then why does the newsprint media and all media every single day post betting lines for each and every baseball, football, basketball and hockey game? Do the newspapers print the daily street price of grass or heroin each day as well?
Here we go with another “vigorous” defense. Can’t these dopehead lawyers think of a different word to use? Just once?