Delaware Governor Officially Behind Sports Gambling Bill
Rumbles have been coming for months that Delaware may try to revive its dormant sports betting operation. This week, Governor Jack Markell announced he would propose a new measure next week to bring sports gambling to the state lottery.
After tenatively floating the idea to voters through the media for months, Markell measured the response and decided to get whole-heartedly behind the sports wagering plan.
The new bill is designed to be operational before the fall, in time for the National Football League season. Action on the NFL is by far the heaviest of any sport in the US.
Lottery plays would only be taken in parlay form. There was no immediate explanation forthcoming for this rule. Observers did note that parlays are considered "sucker" bets, paying at better than straight plays but requiring at least two correct picks.
Delaware is one of four states grandfathered in to allow legal sports wagering. Montana, Nevada, and Oregon also are exempted due to previous legalization of sports gambling. All other states are forbidden to permit sports betting by a 1992 federal law.
Talk last year of bringing legal sports gambling back to Delaware quieted after then-Governor Ruth Ann Minner swore to veto any such gambling bill.
