MLB, NFL, NBA ask court to block Delaware betting 27/07/2009 |
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The leagues for U.S. professional football, baseball, basketball and hockey asked a federal judge on Friday to stop the state of Delaware from launching a single-game betting lottery, according to court documents.
The leagues' complaint said Delaware's recently enacted law allows head-to-head betting on all pro and amateur sports in violation of federal law.
The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, also joined the complaint.
The leagues requested an expedited hearing on the matter, citing the state's intention to launch the betting operation in time for the start of the National Football League season on September 10.
A 1992 federal law prohibits betting on sports, according to the complaint. However, that law grandfathered in four states, including Delaware, and allowed them to offer such wagering if it was limited to plans the states had operated between 1976 and 1990.
Delaware ran a lottery in 1976 in which gamblers could bet on the outcome of multiple National Football League games and the complaint asks the court to restrict Delaware's lottery to that type of betting.
The state enacted the sports lottery to help pay for basic services such as police, according to the governor's office.
"We asked for and received a Delaware Supreme Court advisory opinion prior to moving forward to ensure we are in compliance with state law. We invited the NFL to sit down and share their concerns. They decided instead to sue," said Joe Rogalsky, the administration's communications director.
The case is Office of the Commissioner of Baseball et al v. Markell et al, U.S. District Court, District of Delaware, No. 09-00538.
(Source: Reuters)
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