Sometime in the next few months, the US Supreme Court will decide the fate of regulated sports betting in the United States.
Though the outcome of the state of New Jersey’s epic quest to bring this form of gambling to its customers is anything but a sure thing, many US States are working feverishly to prepare for a day when US punters can legally throw down a wager on their favorite team. One state that’s prepping at a particularly feverish pace is Delaware.
Delaware is one of just a few US States where any form of sports betting is actually and state officials are more than ready to get back in the business of real sports betting. (Under current laws, only a form of parlay wagering is legal in the state.)
According to a recent report from DelawareOnline.com, business interests in Delaware are preparing for just about any outcome when it comes to sports betting as Vernon Kirk, director of the Delaware Lottery explained saying:
The thought is that a favorable ruling would mean anything that’s offered in Las Vegas could be offered here in Delaware or any other state. Whether we would do that remains undecided, but we are considering what that might look like if we did.
But, unlike most other US States, Delaware’s current system allows for sports betting to be offered in retail establishments like bars and restaurants. Whether that system remains in place, or is expanded, is something that Delaware lawmakers will have to consider.
But before anyone starts counting up chickens before they hatch, consider the words of Denis McGlynn, the CEO of Dover Downs, where sports betting is offered alongside slots. In an interview with Delaware Online he said:
It’s a lot of sizzle but no steak. Sports betting in Las Vegas only makes up about 2 percent of their casinos’ total revenue and they have a monopoly right now. If you open it up to every state, I see the impact on us being marginal at best.
What’s becoming abundantly clear is that no one has a really good idea of how regulated sports betting is going to change the face of American gambling…if it’s legalized at all.