[Rocketfan]

Jack Markell is ready to legalize sports betting in Delaware. The ramifications across the political landscape could be significant.

During his campaign for Delaware Governor last fall Jack Markell often hinted that, if elected, he'd support sports betting in his state. Now that he's got the job, Markell is done hinting.

ESPN The Magazine has learned that sometime next week, according to a statehouse source, Markell will introduce a proposal which, for the first time in more than 30 years, makes gambling on sports legal east of the Mississippi River. The plan, which could be approved by the state legislature as early as April, would likely be operational come fall, just in time for the NFL season.

Markell's proposal calls for a statewide sports lottery that only allows parlay bets. In a parlay, gamblers have to get two bets right in order to win. It's an idea that has been brewing in Delaware for a while, long before the economy imploded and the state found itself with a budget shortfall of $700M. In fact, a proposal to allow gambling on sports died in the state legislature last year, when then governor Ruth Ann Minner made it clear she'd veto a resulting bill.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3968082

[Sly Fox]

Frankly I am surprised this hasn't occurred through the reservations by now.

[adam42381]

I don't like the fact that they're only going to allow parlay bets.

[Hold My Own]

I agree that's far worse then allowing gambling in general. Parlays are almost a guaranteed way to lose your money. They should allow everything EXCEPT parlays if they want to try and keep some ethics behind the gambling

[givemethemic]

Well, the good news is that tolls are less and its a shorter drive!!! Sounds good to me.. Now lets move this venture further down south...

[flamesfan30]

Im from Delaware! (and im here right now for spring break)

A) toll are less... uhh not really on I-95 we have the highest toll in the country per square mile, if u don't know how to avoid it ($4.00 on the MD-DE state line) but i guess if you're going to NJ and you would pay that toll anyway, then, yes you are paying less tolls if your coming from the south. but from what little roads we do have to toll, we toll the mess out of em.

B)right now we do have legalized gambling on horse racing and a lottery, a rather high income tax, but no sales tax. so its either a sales tax which will kill all the business from out of state people coming here to buy stuff or legalize sports betting. or continue to be in debt 700 million dollars.

so, Delaware tends to have a history of creating tax revenue through stuff other than taxes because the economy here is the most big business driven of just about anywhere in the world. also, just about every maybe credit card company in the world is incorporated here because Delaware has no usury laws whatsoever

so ethically, legalized sports betting is not that big a step for this little state of mine.

EDIT: Markells dad died this morning. just thought I'd add that semi-but-not-really related bit of news

[adam42381]

I agree that's far worse then allowing gambling in general. Parlays are almost a guaranteed way to lose your money. They should allow everything EXCEPT parlays if they want to try and keep some ethics behind the gambling

Exactly. I guess they want to maintaing a HUGE house edge.

[givemethemic]

Coming up from the south that knock off a few tolls and more than likely people will parlay two bets more than any other. There is a house advantage but there plenty of ways aka tease bets that wouldn't make it as big of an advantage. You wouldn't make as much money but the risk wouldn't be nearly as high. Now if they would add table games to the mix... Bye-bye A.C!!!

[olldflame]

Coming up from the south that knock off a few tolls and more than likely people will parlay two bets more than any other. There is a house advantage but there plenty of ways aka tease bets that wouldn't make it as big of an advantage. You wouldn't make as much money but the risk wouldn't be nearly as high. Now if they would add table games to the mix... Bye-bye A.C!!!

http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/

1-888-GAHELPS

[ALUmnus]

I'd think the reason for parlay is in many ways the same logic behind state lotteries, you're counting on people to lose. If the state's doing this for revenue, that's the best way to guarantee it.

[adam42381]

I'd think the reason for parlay is in many ways the same logic behind state lotteries, you're counting on people to lose. If the state's doing this for revenue, that's the best way to guarantee it.

Obviously this is the reason. The problem is, normal sportsbooks allow straight wagers on games and they still make a ton of money. Parlays for the most part are true sucker bets. Yes they can be fun, but usually they're not your best play.