11/05/24
May 28, 2009
Delaware Supreme Court OKs Sports Betting: Delaware's new sports betting law is constitutional, the state Supreme Court has concluded in a ruling to be issued this morning, paving the way for bets on football games and other sports as early as September. Delaware may offer single-game bets using a point spread, over-under bets on the total number of points scored, and parlay games.
I was very surprised to discover on my first trip to Atlantic City last fall that (at the time) sports gambling was only legal in Nevada. I don't understand why the lottery is allowed to tax people in many places across the country, but sports gaming--which actually allows the gambler some skill--is only legal in (now) two states.
posted by bender at 09:14 AM on May 29, 2009
My cynical opinion: States want to monopolize gambling revenue for themselves by keeping it illegal except for their own lotteries. If we had options, there'd be less lottery revenue for them.
I find it ridiculous that the government prohibits gambling on the grounds that it's harmful and yet runs its own lotteries.
posted by rcade at 10:38 AM on May 29, 2009
My cynical opinion: States want to monopolize gambling revenue for themselves by keeping it illegal except for their own lotteries. If we had options, there'd be less lottery revenue for them.
If that's true--which it may very well be--it's very narrow-minded. A certain amount of sports gambling is still going on under the table. Legalizing it would allow states to take there cut through taxes. Furthermore, I don't think that people interested in gambling on sports see lotteries as a reasonable facsimile. Slot machines, maybe, but if I'm looking to bet the spread in a game I know something about and can't because it's illegal, picking random numbers for ping pong balls isn't gonna cut it.
posted by bender at 10:59 AM on May 29, 2009
Congratulations, Delaware, on catching up with Canada. Next up -- smoke that fatty!
posted by wfrazerjr at 03:09 PM on May 29, 2009
Congratulations, Delaware, on catching up with Canada. Next up -- smoke that fatty!
fraze, where can you place single bets (as opposed to parlay bets) legally in Canada?
posted by tommybiden at 03:30 PM on May 29, 2009
FTA:
The justices ruled that parlay games, in which a better picks the winner or more than one game, meet constitutional muster, but chose not to rule on whether betting on a single game would constitute a lottery.
I read this as the single-game bets aren't being allowed yet, so Delaware would be on par with the Canadian system.
posted by wfrazerjr at 06:38 PM on May 29, 2009
I believe you are correct, fraze. I must have missed that. Thank you.
posted by tommybiden at 07:33 PM on May 29, 2009
good