DE still has sports betting advantage

Governor Markell original vision of sports betting has changed thanks to Monday’s court ruling. But the state says parlay bets will still be a part of the Delaware sports betting scene, and that’s something you can’t do east of the Mississippi River.

Sports betting the way Governor Markell originally envisioned most likely won’t take place in Delaware this fall.

But the First State will still offer something no other state east of the Mississippi River can.

The State of Delaware took a legal hit yesterday when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third District ruled against single game sports betting.  But Delaware can still roll out parlay betting for NFL football games.

Dennis Rochford, chairman of Delaware’s sports and video lottery gaming study commission, says Delaware still has an advantage.

“The bottom line is there will still be sports betting in Delaware,” Rochford said. “So Delaware to that extent is unique and is in a competitive position to benefit from that type of betting.”

Delaware had a parlay sports betting lottery in 1976, which lasted only months.  But Rochford says this time around there’s a bigger gambling infrastructure in place to support it with the state’s three racinos.