Court to Debate Sports Betting in Delaware

Published August 20, 2009 by OCR Editor

Small east coast state might not get sports betting if major US sports leagues get their way.

Delaware might not get sports betting, after the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia granted a request from the four major American sports leagues to hold a hearing on sports betting in the tiny US state, news agencies have reported.

The National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association and National Hockey League, as well as the college sports governing body the NCAA, requested a hearing to place an injunction on the upcoming legalization of sports betting in Delaware, which was set to begin on September 1.

The hearing will be held before a three-judge panel eight days earlier on August 24.

The judge had initially denied the injunction request and instead set a trial date for December 7, which would have allowed betting at the beginning of the NFL, NBA and NHL seasons.

A spokesman for Delaware Governor Jack Markell, who played a major role in legalizing sports betting in his state, said the governor was looking "forward to our day in court."

The governor introduced the plan as a way of cutting the Diamond State's massive $850 million budget deficit.