Buzz: Hold Those Betting Sheets, Delaware…
Posted by rtmsf on August 24th, 2009A three-judge panel at the US Court of Appeals in Philadelphia today heard two hours of oral arguments on the legality of Delaware’s proposed plan to institute sports gambling in time for the opening of football season in two weeks. Their decision to overturn the lower court’s holding allowing such wagering in Delaware sent ripples through the Northeastern corridor, as gambling savants from Connecticut to Virginia will have to cancel their planned fall weekend trips to Dover. At issue was the expansion of wagering options that Delaware has proposed, including single-game bets using point spreads in multiple sports. Under previous interpretation of law, the state is only allowed to offer parlay-style gambling on professional football games – any expansion beyond that is illegal. Today’s ruling leaves little wiggle room for the state, as an appeal is unlikely to be considered by the Supreme Court. So… does this mean a Final Four in Wilmington is back on?