Delaware legalises sports betting

Delaware has become the first state to make full-scale sports betting, following the recent US Supreme Court verdict that allowed individual states to make a decision on legalising sports betting.

Inaugurating the legalisation of betting, Gov. John Carney put $10 on the Phillies game that night – and it paid off. The Phillies beat the Cubs 6-1.

For the uninitiated, on May 14, the Supreme Court struck down a federal law that prevented states from legalising sports gambling, ruling that the Congress can ban sports betting itself but said it cannot mandate what state legislatures do or do not pass.

Almost all the states are scrambling to change in the law, but Delaware was quick of the block and became the first across the finish line.

That makes Delaware the second state with fully legal sports gambling, following Nevada, which had legalised the practice before the federal law was passed in 1992.

Mark Eichmann of member station WHYY reports that casinos in Delaware are not anticipating a massive windfall as a result of the shift – especially as other states, most notably New Jersey, move to follow suit.

But local gamblers are pleased that they do not have to turn to online betting, or travel to Las Vegas, to place their bets, WHYY’s Zoë Read says.

And the state is hoping that gambling pays off – if not directly, then indirectly, Read reports:

“State officials expect the launch to make a significant contribution to tourism in Delaware — where 17 percent of visitors participate in gambling.”

“‘Tourism is a big thing in our state, particularly as we move into the summer season …’ Carney said. ‘Today we’re going to be first in offering them an entertainment opportunity so they can support their sports teams … by making a legal wager.'”

Some gambling-addiction researchers are worried about the consequences of legalizing sports gambling.

Source: npr.org