Delaware Working on Instituting NFL Parlay Sports Betting
Faced with extremely limited options by a US court decision, Delaware casino operators are preparing to offer the only sports betting available to them, multiple-team parlay betting. But, even on the eve of the NFL season, the regulations as to how the betting will be organized are still up in the air.
Delaware had attempted to operate sports betting on all major US sports in single game format, but a lawsuit by a consortium of sports leagues led to the ruling that the state could only duplicate its past sports wagering options, which consisted of NFL bets involving parlays of three teams or more.
Now, with officials scrambling to be ready for the rapidly approaching NFL season, betting limits haven't been set, operators are unsure if paper cards must be used or whether electronic gambling can be employed, and even potential payouts are uncertain.
"We are working around the clock on this stuff," said acting state finance secretary Tom Cook. Cook did promise that the state would be ready to go Thursday, when the first games kick off.
Predictions for revenue generated by the sports betting were decimated by the court ruling, as many players prefer the illusion that they can out-reason the point spreads of single games. And experienced bettors realize that parlay odds are likely to be set to much more heavily favor the state than the 10-11 odds given on straight plays.
It's to be expected that authorities will be working until the last minute to prepare for operations. As Dover Downs CEO Ed Sutor pointed out, "There's still questions to be answered."
