NFL Puppets Interfering with Delaware Sports Gambling Law?

Delaware's leaders think the National Football League may be behind attempts to bring the force of the US Department of Justice to bear upon the state's sports gambling lottery.

A move this week by several federal lawmakers to request the US Department of Justice to act against Delaware's use of its federal exemption from the national ban on sports gambling has been characterized as more aggression by the National Football League. The NFL, one of Washington's richest and most powerful lobbyists, have opposed sports betting because it may create a public perception of corruption among NFL game results.

After two Senators and three Representatives sent a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder pushing for a crackdown on Delaware's sports gambling lottery and New Jersey's suit seeking its own gaming rights to sports betting, Delaware Governor Jack Markell responded with alacrity.

"Along with their litigation threats, we suspect this letter is part of the NFL's continued effort to stop Delaware from moving forward with its sports lottery," said Markell spokesman Joe Rogalsky. "Delaware is committed to operating the sports lottery in compliance with federal law and the Delaware Constitution, which is why the governor asked for and received a Delaware Supreme Court advisory opinion allowing us to move forward."

The NFL has all but admitted that illegal sports betting constitutes a greater danger to the actual integrity of games than legal and regulated sports gambling, but has confessed it is concerned that public confidence may be shaken by the appearance of readily available sports betting. In other words, the game would not be more endangered by legal sports gambling, but fans might think the NFL is rigged if it doesn't resist legalization.

Holder worked at the law firm Covington and Burling before his appointment. The firm has been the primary lobbyist for the NFL, which led to questions of whether the AG would recuse himself from sports betting matters. William Wichterman, who had acted as a lobbyist for the firm before working in the Bush White House, was noted for forcing through the midnight rules implementing the UIGEA, and somehow avoided ethics hearings on the matter.