Written by :
Published on :
Much as the Poker Players Alliance has argued that poker is a game of skill, now the NFL has suggested that sports betting is as well.
From the News Journal:
The National Football League, in what could be a precursor to a lawsuit against Delaware Gov. Jack Markell over sports betting, has filed a legal brief against the measure with the state Supreme Court.
The league, in papers filed by a Wilmington law firm, argues that skill "plays an impermissible" role in sports betting, disqualifying such games as a lottery determined mainly by chance.
The state Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would authorize Delaware to become the only state east of the Mississippi River to offer sports betting, sending it to Gov. Jack Markell for his promised signature.
The Senate passed the bill 17-2 without a committee hearing, suspending its rules before voting. The decision came on the first day back in session after hours of closed-door negotiations.
"I'm pleased they acted so quickly," said Markell, who fought to resurrect the bill after an initial House defeat last Tuesday. Markell and other administration officials negotiated for hours last Thursday with House Republican leaders who had led early opposition to the measure and were finally able to reach a compromise.
If the high court rules that sports betting as envisioned by Markell and the legislature is more skill than chance, the proposal could fail to pass constitutional muster, according to the News Journal.
The NFL has long opposed sports betting as a threat to "the integrity" of its games, a phrase repeated in papers made public Tuesday.
Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
