Sports Betting Begins At Delaware Casinos

Casino News - September 10th, 2009 - Written by Glen

Legal, land based sports betting has been months in the making for Delaware, and the day has finally arrived. Delaware Casinos have launched the sports betting program that has been highly anticipated, along with the NFL regular season, albeit in a very much so watered down version.

After a heated court battle between the major sporting leagues and the State of Delaware, the sports betting scheme has dwindled to a very basic program, similar to the failed attempt that Delaware had pushed back in the middling 70's, that would only allow three-team parlay betting. The original plan would have included single game betting, though this was quickly smacked down by the Leagues. Additionally, only NFL games will be available for wagering.

Unfortunately for the casinos, major renovations and additions had been made to boost the comfort of the sports bettors. One particular casino spent millions on a lounge in which bettors could congregate to kick back, enjoy the show, and collect on their bets after the games were over. This several million dollar sink may not be recouped even after the entire sports betting season. Unless Delaware takes the issue to a higher court,which may not even be possible, and wins the hearing, this could be another loss for the state, which is already suffering from budget crisis.

The parlays will operate through fixed odds, meaning once a player places their wager, no event can alter the odds they take. This could hurt the casinos even further, as a favored team bringing in thousands in bets could lose an essential player due to injury or litigation, thus decreasing the chances of that team winning. Between the renovations and the technology introduced to accommodate the sports betting scheme, Delaware may be at a major loss in the whole event.

In addition to the money spent preparing for the sports betting program, Delaware had also sunk tens of thousands in fees for the trial, including court costs and the hiring of outside attorneys. It is unlikely that the new sports betting scheme in Delaware will be able to stand against that of Las Vegas or the Internet.

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