The NJ reports this AM about the efforts of Senators Hatch and Kyl to stop sports betting in Delaware. Gov. Markell’s office speculates that these two are stalking horses for the NFL who are really having issues with this betting idea.
In a letter sent to Attorney General Holder, these two want the AG to tell Delaware to stick to parlay bets only and they also want the AG to vigorously defend against the NJ lawsuit to expand sports betting.
I’m not a partisan on this sports betting thing, but it does seem to me that Hatch and Kyl are driving way outside of their lanes here. Sports betting already exists in the places where it is legal and they can’t point to a deterioration of any sporting events there as evidence of their pretty wild claim of
Sports betting in Delaware “threatens the integrity of the pastimes our citizens enjoy and the nature of the games they follow,” wrote Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah and Jon Kyl of Arizona in a letter. “Indeed, the expansion of state-sponsored betting will promote gambling throughout our culture, particularly among young people.”
When, of course, sports betting is pretty prevalent already on a casual or illegal basis — the effort by Delaware (or any state for that matter) is about capturing some of that pie for themselves. Much like the way that states eclipsed the illegal numbers game by ramping up state-sponsored lotteries.
These two could step up to some real leadership if they were to actually make the point that governments are playing a fools game by relying on gambling for a serious revenue stream. But just armoring up to do the NFL’s business (who are just pissed they don’t get a cut) is just as much of a fool’s game.