Delaware Governor Jack Markell is ready to take one giant leap for degenerate-kind, as he plans to introduce a proposal that would legalize sports betting in the state of Delaware, in a limited fashion.

With the potential to bring the state up to $100 million per year in additional tax revenue, the hope is that sports betting can start to chip away at the $700 million hole that the state is in.

Markell had hinted at legalizing sports betting during his campaign for Governor in 2008, and is getting busy with it right away. The deal would not legalize sports betting in the same way that Las Vegas has it, but it’s a start.

The betting that would be allowed would only include parlays, and only be available at the states racinos (racing + casino = racino). This is leading other states with forms of gambling in place to perk up their ears, hoping to be next in line.

The only problem is that under current federal laws, only Nevada, Montana, Oregon and Delaware are eligible to legalize sports betting, since they had laws on the books prior to the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which put the kibosh on everyone else getting into the act.

But Delaware’s use of sports betting as a shovel to dig their way out of financial woes may be the inspiration that other states need to challenge the current laws. New Jersey has been trying to get sports betting for years, either just in Atlantic City or statewide. Currently, they are having enough trouble getting the folks in Atlantic City to get on board with turning some of their various racetracks into racinos. Between the local toughs in A.C. and the wise-guys that make millions under the table, N.J. has been fighting this uphill battle for a long time. Perhaps Delaware initiating the conversation nationwide is what it will take to allow the Garden State to join the game.

Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass) is hoping to introduce legislation in the next month to overturn the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006, which essentially made sports betting online nearly impossible in the U.S. Overturning that law, which crippled the ability of banks to make transactions with overseas gaming companies, would be the first step in legalizing online gaming here in the Colonies.

Estimates from PricewaterhouseCoopers have said that the United States could pull in $52 billion per year by legalizing, regulating and taxing online gambling. You’d have to be politically retarded to pass on that.

And last I checked, online gambling is neither in the Bible, nor damaging to the environment, so both parties can jump on board.

Online gambling would likely only be for poker and sports, games that are considered skill games, not games of chance. It’s something that needs to be done, and should be done, and thanks to Delaware, perhaps will be done in the next few years.

Hopefully this goes through and starts a ball rolling that will yield millions and billions of dollars in tax revenue at the state and local levels. That’s never a bad thing.

Share this story...

Discussion

No comments for “Delaware to Legalize Sports Betting?”

Post a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.