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The first state and second smallest in the U.S., Delaware, is about to determine whether sports betting will be legalized.
On Tuesday, the House Gaming Committee will hold a formal hearing on the bill. It would expand gaming by authorizing sports betting and adding additional locations for gaming than the existing "racinos." The hearing will be open to the public and residents can comment on the bill before it is voted on.
Leading up to the hearing, protests have been organized against legalized sports betting.
Myles Brand, President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association wrote the following opinion piece in the News Journal:
"Those in support of sports wagering try to characterize it as harmless fun that would line state budget coffers, but that is both naive and misguided. Any state winnings from the addition of sports wagering do not come free and clear. On the contrary; there is a cost and it carries a hefty price tag. Sports wagering is a serious problem, not a solution. It threatens the well-being of student-athletes and at worst can corrupt athletic contests or at best create the appearance of corruption.
"Simply stated, the NCAA believes that sports should be appreciated for the inherent benefits related to participating and watching, not the amount of money wagered on the outcome of a game. The NCAA opposes all forms of legal and illegal sports wagering. Association rules do not allow student-athletes, coaches and administrators to engage in sports wagering at any level. The rules apply to any practice or competition, whether it is intercollegiate, amateur or professional, in any NCAA-sanctioned sport."
But as USA Today pointed out just last week, the NCAA is pushing the envelope when it comes to sports marketing.
Several schools and conferences allow advertising and promotions by casinos in their arenas or game programs, a practice the NCAA once frowned upon because of gambling's potential threat to the integrity of its sports, that publication reported.
"We continue to be stridently opposed to any type of sports wagering," spokesman Erik Christianson says via e-mail.
"But we have come to understand that there are differing perspectives within the membership about commercial activities, including the appropriateness of accepting casino advertising. What some institutions may see as acceptable, others may not."
Delaware, meanwhile, may have to act fast. Its neighbor to the North, New Jersey, is also looking to legalize sports betting both in Atlantic City-based casinos and on the Web.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
