Sports Betting in Delaware Proceeds as NFL Denied Injunction

Delaware wins the first battle in its showdown with the NFL over sports betting, as a judge rules against an injunction to prevent the lottery gambling program from starting while the case is being contested.

The National Football League and its coalition of sports associations in the US were dealt a blow in the legal battle to block Delaware from instituting sports betting today. Judge Gregory Sleet denied the leagues' request for an injunction to prevent the sports gambling lottery program from starting while the case is being considered.

Sleet set a date to begin the trial on December 7th, while Delaware immediately began making plans to start offering the sports betting options by the start of the NFL season September 10th. Sleet said he would consider the leagues' motion for a summary judgement by November, but such a decision, at least in the leagues' favor, is seen as highly unlikely by legal experts.

The NFL contends that legal sports betting in Delaware will cause ruinous damage to the leagues' reputation and integrity. Why the Delaware plan differs from the presently legal sports gambling in Nevada, or the illegal sports betting across the US, has not been explained by the leagues.

"We continue to oppose more legalized gambling on our games and we are evaluating our options," said Kenneth Nachbar, one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs.

Governor Markell of Delaware had contended that preventing the program from operating during football season would do irreversible damage to the state, as figures show almost half of all sports wagering in the US is on football.