NFL Called Out on Hypocrisy

It's good to see the NFL is as limber as ever when it comes to high-minded posturing. You have to be in great shape to find stray money in this environment, writes Ray Rotto of the San Francisco Chronicle and CBS Sportsline. 

Rotto was making reference to the NFL's posturing as it relates to Delaware's attempts at legalizing sports betting. 

He writes in his CBS Sportsline column:

"You might have seen how the league rose in medium-high dudgeon to argue against Delaware's plan to legalize sports wagering. And having failed, as you knew it would, the league's members promptly sprinted to cut deals to slap their logos on lottery tickets. Massachusetts, Virginia (Redskins), maybe New York, Michigan, Tennessee, Minnesota, Maryland as well, and you know that California, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana and North Carolina will be bothered next.

The NFL stands on two stout legs, and one of them is gambling, Rotto says.

Straight wagering, fantasy leagues, pools -- you name it, the NFL is the perfect venue for it. But for the longest time, the league wanted to look like the hooker with a heart of gold, the least convincing character in the history of acting.

The testimony against the Delaware gambling bill was the last stand for the professional virgin class, or close to it. The league might try to fight the next state that tries to dip its feet into the vice market, but if it couldn't break down Delaware, what chance does it have against a state you can find on a map?

The state Senate approved a bill earlier this month 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.

Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher