Delaware Still Seeking Justice in Sports Betting Case

A panel of judges from the US Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Delaware's sports betting program had to limit itself to accepting NFL parlay bets, but the state is asking the entire court to hear the case.

Delaware authorities have appealed to the US Third Circuit Court of Appeals to bring its case for legal sports betting to be brought before the entire court. A panel of three judges from the court had ruled for a consortium of US sports leagues, finding that the case on its merits justified the suit to prevent Delaware from offering single-game wagers on sports.

Delaware's sports gambling began anyway with the start of the NFL season, as the court upheld Delaware's right to conduct NFL parlay betting as it had before the passing of the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. But the limited betting, with the unfavorable odds offered on parlays, led to much lower revenues than Delaware leaders had hoped.

"The State of Delaware should have its day in court," said Governor Jack Markell. "We believe there are important legal and factual questions that should be heard by the entire court."

Delaware casinos invested millions in preparing for the arrival of sports gambling, and now may be lucky to recoup their investment, much less turn a significant profit on the betting system.

Attorneys representing the sports leagues said the appeal is expected, and that, in the absence of new arguments, they expect the results to confirm the previous decision.