Fight for Sports Gambling Finds a New Ally in iMEGA

Gambling News - July 29th, 2009 - Written by Glen

The Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association, or iMEGA, is one of the premier special interest groups regularly acting on the behalf of the people to bridge the gap between citizens and government, as it pertains to the Internet as well as entertainment. The months of June and July marked their recent push for overturning the UIGEA, and now they are fighting for the sports betting regulation set to take place in Delaware.

Delaware is set to have legalized sports gambling within their borders before the start of the NFL's 2009 regular season, but opposition has been flying at the issue in efforts to shoot it down before it manages to even get off the ground. With the four major sporting leagues, as well as the NCAA, at Delaware's back, the state has its hands full with the issue. New Jersey is also trying to stop Delaware in its tracks, arguing that if Delaware sees sports gambling, Atlantic City may keep sliding down the dangerous slope it is currently struggling to rise above. Delaware has few allies as it is being surrounded, but iMEGA has recently taken the issue to court to stand behind The First State in their crusade for sports gambling.

Under the Professional Amatuer Sports Protection Act of 1991, sports gambling is a criminal act in all but four states which had, at point, legal sports gambling. Delaware is one of these four and this is the sole reason they are able to proceed along the lines on which they are currently pushing. The actions from iMEGA are to overturn to deem the PASPA unconstitutional over all, rather than just to protect Delaware, but these efforts are noble indeed. Some argue that legalized sports gambling would find leagues turning to corruption, but enemies of this line of thought suggest that sports gambling operations are already taking place under the umbrella of organized crime. Under this school of thought, sporting events are already prone to potential corruption as illegal operations may be more inclined to try to fix a game. They also say that the state's enacting the lottery could help to enforce fair play.

Should iMEGA be successful, they will have opened a door of opportunity for Atlantic City as well as Delaware. In the crumbling economy, Atlantic City needs an infusion of customers to stay afloat. Sports gambling may provide New Jersey with precisely what it needs to avoid total, disastous ruin. iMEGA is currently waiting on results from the UIGEA-constitutionality case, so this will also be a cause for anticipation as those who support legalized sports gambling wait patiently.