Has Denis McGlynn Already Shoved Sports Betting up Delaware’s Ass?
I thought I was going to play Dr. Watson to Liberalgeek’s Sherlock, but it seems I’m going to play Dustin Hoffman to his Robert Redford.
Here it goes.
It is easy to build a case that Denis McGlynn is behind an effort to promote sports betting in Delaware and in fact may have already sealed the deal.
This post from Liberalgeek links to a gambling news site that attributes this to an “Executive” of Dover Downs Entertainment.
“..the Delaware legislature is currently seeking ways to define their ability to institute this activity (sports betting) and it makes sense since they already do simulcast wagering on horse racing.”
Dover Downs Entertainment CEO, Denis McGlynn is paid $433,000 per year to be the public face of Dover Downs and has appeared on CNN financial discussing the company’s business strategy and finances. It is reasonable to assume that McGylnn is the person who made these statements to the gaming trade press.
But how could he be so confident about the prospects for sports betting?
Investing in a big new hotel and speaking on the record with a member of the trade press are the smoking guns when it comes to the question of this being a done deal, but it does not explain where the confidence comes from.
To discover the source of his confidence I looked at Pam Thornburg’s most recent campaign filings. Thornburg (R – Dover West) is regarded by some people as the gaming industry’s most reliable representative in Dover. McGlynn does not appear directly on the reports, but these shadowy Dover Delaware based organizations are prominent contributors.
Non-Partisan Citizens for Business Expansion
Delaware Citizens for Economic Development
Delaware Dept. Association (Yes. This is the name on the form)…and the most telling,
Delaware Racing Association
See the forms here
(PDF Link)
Thornburg clearly did very well with a small number of well healed donors. I’m no Carl Bernstein, but I don’t think it is going to take long to tie McGlyn and Dover Downs to these organizations.
For the record I don’t have strong feelings about sports betting (other than a strong desire to NOT bet on the Eagles). What I don’t like is having a bunch of rich guys getting even more rich by using our state government like a $20 whore.
Tags: Video Lottery My Ass
More details here.
Hey, remember that hotel now sinking into the muck off Route 141? Guess who owns that hotel now and is planning to open it? That’s right – Delaware Park (“but the fourth time, it stayed up!!”)
By the way, fascinating story here about the financing for that hotel.
I spoke to a reporter yesterday who covers the GA. He confirmed to me that it was pretty much a mortal lock that it was going to happen. He named Bill Oberle as the guy that would most likely introduce the bill, but that it wouldn’t come until after the next report on slot declines.
On a side note, I also overheard a part of a conversation last night between two people in a TFI Fridays yesterday that went like this:
“You been up to the casino in Chester, yet?”
“Yeah, I went up there last night, my aunt died.”
Huh?
At least they are honest about their graft and greed.
He named Bill Oberle as the guy that would most likely introduce the bill, but that it wouldn’t come until after the next report on slot declines.
I hope they call it the “Denis McGlynn Income Protection and Enhancement Act”
More details here.
Hey, remember that hotel now sinking into the muck off Route 141? Guess who owns that hotel now and is planning to open it? That’s right – Delaware Park (“but the fourth time, it stayed up!!”)
By the way, fascinating story here about the financing for that hotel.
Or the “We Will Sink To Any Depravity To Avoid Raising Taxes” Act
every year some expansion of gambling is proposed:
*More Slot Machines
*a new scratch off lottery
*a new slots facility in Wilmington
*a floating slots parlor on the DE river with a NJ dock
just last year they added more machines.
as long as it’s decided by a stand alone vote (not stuffed in the bond bill or epilog languge) I am not worried.
Of course you are not worried. Your whole political philosophy revolves around saying whatever rich people tell you to say, and doing whatever rich people tell you to do.
Looks like I didn’t really have a scoop. The State News had an article on this earlier in the week.
Stabilizing and strengthening the slots industry through sports betting would have an ancillary benefit for horse racing, said Salvatore DiMario, executive director of the Delaware Standardbred Owners Association.
Wow! Slot stabilize horse racing and in turn are stabilized by sports betting!?!?
This is an afront to Friedman-ian economics. Doesn’t anyone trust the free market anymore?
Why do they still need the horses?
I’m with anon on this one – it seems pretty obvious that the sport itself doesn’t produce any significant revenue the way football does, for example, and that all of the actual revenue comes from the wagering. If that’s the case, then we already have legal sports betting in Delaware, but limited to a single sport.
In the vein of Mr. DiMario, I suggest it’s important to keep horse racing a going concern if only to support the silk jacket industry and the fine (unionized) garment workers.
not exactly anon,
while I oppose sports betting. Unlike you, I don’t get my panties in a bunch because someone holds the opposite opinion and advocates for their postition.
Not that it matters, since liberalgeek has informed us that the back room deals to bring sports betting to Delaware have already been struck, but it is worth noting that a sports betting seems like a sucker bet for Delaware.
1) At just five percent, sports betting has a significantly lower take for casinos compared to the approximately fifteen percent the house keeps from more traditional casino games. So it is not going to be a significant source of tax revenue.
2)The negative costs associated with gambling; bankruptcy, divorce, and the tens of millions of dollars spent on problem gamblers every year.
3)Sports betting has the potential to corrupt college and major league sports and is opposed by the NFL and NCAA.
4) No tax or revenue-raising scheme is more regressive than gambling. It hits hardest those least able to pay.
5)Gambling is the fastest growing youth addiction in the country. According to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, the majority of youth have gambled by the age of twelve, and approximately 80 percent of juveniles between the ages of 12 to 17 have gambled in the last year. Among those youth, sports betting ranks among the most prevalent form of gambling.
Link
This pathetic slide into the gambling gutter is the last thing Delaware needs.
We know why the corporate gambling pushers want it, but from a citizen and (good) governmental perspective it makes no sense….hitching our fiscal wagon (assuming that’s why) to such regressive, corrosive, speculative nonsense as more and more gambling.
Is this the answer to the loss of Chrysler? Will the UAW in Delaware be helping skilled labor transition to low-paid casino jobs?
I am really beginning to warm to the idea of a public interest law project challenging this entire house of cards (no pun intended) of “video lotteries”, or as every rational person knows they are : SLOT MACHINES.
The Constitution seems pretty clear to me.
DELAWARE CONSTITUTION – Art. II (excerpts) :
§ 17. Lotteries and other gambling.
Section 17. All forms of gambling are prohibited in this State except the following:
(a) Lotteries under State control for the purpose of raising funds,
(b) Lotteries (other than slot machines, roulette, craps and baccarat games) provided that each is sponsored and conducted under the limitations of Section 17B by companies, organizations or societies which have been in existence for at least 2 years; provided, however, that no person who shall not have attained the age of 18 years shall participate in any lottery (where money is the prize) otherwise authorized by the article,
The General Assembly shall enforce this Section by appropriate legislation.
§ 17B. Lotteries not under State control shall be lawful when sponsored and conducted by volunteer fire companies, veterans organizations, religious or charitable organizations, or by fraternal societies provided that said company, organization or society has been in existence a minimum of 2 years and provided the net receipts or profits arising from the conducting or operating of such lotteries by the aforementioned companies, organizations or societies are used solely for the promotion or achievement of the purposes of such companies, organizations or societies, and provided further that the aforementioned companies, organizations or societies are operated in a manner so as to come within § 170 of the United States Revenue Code and regulations promulgated thereunder by the United States Secretary of the Treasury.
Dr Nicky…do you realize that Thornburg is hardly the only person to score that trifecta of donors? I left off the last part of the superfecta because of the sheer mystery of the source (Delaware Dept. Association). Can’t really say what industry that one is from…yet.