Sports Leagues Can’t Tell States What To Do

Delaware, and eventually New Jersey, should have the right to OK or turn down sports betting.

Ever since Delaware began exploring offering legal sports betting as a way to generate more tax revenue, the NFL and NCAA have stood firmly against it, trying every way possible to stop Delaware in court.

It's ironic that the NFL and college basketball, the two sports that most benefit from increased fan interest tied to betting, are fighting so hard to stop a state from offering legal, regulated sports betting for fans. They have been joined in their fight against Delaware by Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL.

Federal law allows four states -- Nevada, Oregon, Montana and Delaware -- to offer sports wagering. Currently, Nevada is the only one that does. Delaware is in position to be the second beginning Sept. 1. But now the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals has asked the state and the sports leagues to submit additional written arguments in the federal lawsuit filed by the sports leagues.

Frankly, we believe the leagues and the NCAA should back off. This doesn't bode well for whenever New Jersey's representatives in Washington begin heeding calls from Trenton to push for legal sports betting in Atlantic City's casinos. We want New Jersey lawmakers to challenge the unfair federal law that allows four states to offer sports betting while telling the other 46 states they can't have it.

But the leagues and the NCAA seem intent on telling states what they can and can't do it. It's completely hypocritical. NFL executives and owners and the people who run the NCAA know full well that office football and March Madness pools generate huge interest in pro football and big-time college sports, and that that interest leads to untold hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue in their pockets from TV contracts, advertising, licensing and other sources.

For the sake of the integrity of the games, which is of the utmost importance, the NFL, NCAA and the other leagues should have stringent, zero-tolerance policies when it comes to gambling and their players, coaches, referees and other personnel. But the leagues and the NCAA have their heads in the sand if they think keeping the massive sports betting industry illegal everywhere but Nevada stops it from happening. It's already happening in every state -- Delaware, New Jersey, California . . . everywhere. All it takes is a few clicks of a mouse and anyone can bet on any game they want through any number of online bookmakers. Washington's efforts to stop bettors from depositing and retrieving money from such Web sites has not been successful. Then there are all the people who run pools and take bets, amateur and professional bookies, some with organized crime ties.

Of course making it legal, regulating it, taxing it, would no doubt create additional bettors. But in the end, this is a decision that's up to elected state governments, not the sports leagues.

We hope Delaware is successful in its legal fight if for no other reason that to win a victory for states' rights and to perhaps clear the way for New Jersey to challenge the federal law and move toward allowing sports betting in Atlantic City some day to help bolster the resort's economy.

Source:  Courier Post