DOVER, Del.- Delaware on Tuesday launched expanded sports betting, a move aimed at attracting more people to the First State to bet on sports like professional football, basketball, baseball, and hockey.
Gov. John Carney placed the first bet under the new system, Sports Pick, and wagered $10 on the Philadelphia Phillies to beat the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
Because of a failed sports lottery experiment in 1976, Delaware was partially exempted from the 1992 federal ban on sports gambling that was recently struck down by the Supreme Court. Dover Downs casino workers took in 36 bets within the first 20 minutes of legal wagering.
Once the federal ban was struck down, Delaware said it believed its existing laws already allowed it to implement single-game wagers and other types of bets without any further action by lawmakers.
In New Jersey, which successfully challenged the federal ban, lawmakers hope to have a bill signed by the end of this week that resolves competing for proposals to allow sports betting at casinos and horse racing tracks.
