The Delaware Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the sports betting law signed this month by governor Jack Markell complies with the state's constitution, clearing the way for wagers on NFL and college games this fall.
Attorneys argued before the court last week on behalf of the NFL, which tried to have the law ruled unconstitutional. But the state's highest court saw otherwise, with all five justices concluding the law was legal.
Table games are also part of the law, and Markell is counting on successful implementation of the law to raise upward of $50 million and help fill a projected $800 million hole in the state’s fiscal year 2010 budget.
The state Senate, on a vote of 17-2, passed a bill legalizing all types of sports betting on Tuesday and governor Jack Markell plans to sign the measure this week.
The NFL, in what could be a precursor to a lawsuit, has already filed a legal brief against the measure with the state Supreme Court.
A similar bill failed last week in the House when state casinos lobbied against passage because it called for the state to take a larger share of casino revenue. But Markell, looking to address a projected shortfall of more than $600 million in the coming fiscal year, pressed for a compromise and got it.
A shift in political winds combined with a crumbling economy could help pave the way for the return of legalized online gaming to the U.S., possibly as early as later this year.
Mark Ament of SportsBiz reports on a series of developments that would overturn actions in 2006 by the Bush Administration and Republican Congress that led to the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
