Delaware's three casinos had combined for nearly $170,000 in wagers in the first three hoursGETTY IMAGES
Delaware yesterday was the "darling of the sports betting world" as wagers "kicked off in the state’s three casinos" -- Delaware Park, Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway, according to a front-page piece by Neiburg & Baker of the Wilmington NEWS JOURNAL. At Dover Downs, Gov. John Carney "placed a bet" on the Phillies, making the country’s "first sanctioned, single-game sports bet outside Nevada." Carney said, "This is really about bringing visitors to our state." Delaware Park President Bill Fasy "expects New Jersey to be up and running as soon as Friday, and is confident Pennsylvania and Maryland aren't far behind" (Wilmington NEWS JOURNAL, 6/6). USA TODAY's A.J. Perez notes the three casinos had "combined for nearly $170,000 in wagers in the first three hours" (USA TODAY, 6/6). In Philadelphia, Ed Barkowitz writes the scene at Delaware Park yesterday is "routine in Vegas, but here on the East Coast, it was momentous." The rush to the windows was "coupled with a hint of confusion." Baseball moneylines "befuddled a few of the patrons." Delaware Park’s sports book will be open seven days a week from 11:00am-11:00pm ET, but there is "flexibility to stay open later when warranted" -- such as today’s NBA Finals game, which starts at 9:00pm. Minimum "straight-up sports bets are $5 and parlays start at $2." Barkowitz: "An important note for Vegas veterans: Unlike Nevada, Delaware is not allowed to give out complimentary drink tickets" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 6/6). ESPN’s “Stanford Steve” Coughlin called the vibe at Delaware Park "Vegas-esque." He said, "There are lines at betting windows, people crushing ice cold beverages, and there’s even a spot here at Delaware Park that has paigow poker tables. What’s better than that?” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 6/6).
WATCH THE MAGNOLIAS: SI.com's Ross Dellenger noted Ole Miss and Mississippi State will "feel the effects" of sports betting legislation "before anyone else" in the SEC. Mississippi, which is home to more than 25 casinos, is "one of a handful of states that had a pre-existing law in place to allow for sports betting as soon as possible after the Supreme Court had weighed in." It is also the only state in the SEC’s "vast footprint expected to legalize sports betting by football season." Biloxi-based Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino VP/Marketing Scott King said that they are "confident enough about the changes ahead" that the casino has already "hired architects to turn an existing area into a sports book." For the SEC and other conferences, the SCOTUS ruling "could give college sports an injection of potential problems." The SEC began to "confront each of these hurdles last week in closed-door meetings with its coaches, athletic directors, presidents and, yes, even its athletes." SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey used the words "understanding" and "educating" when describing the focus of the dialogue regarding sports betting. Mississippi State AD John Cohen said that the SEC is "pushing its members to educate its athletes at a much higher level than it already does" (SI.com, 6/5).
ACROSS THE POND: USA TODAY's Rogers & Hjelmgaard write, "To imagine the future of sports betting you only need to look across the Atlantic Ocean to the U.K., where it was legalized nearly 60 years ago." In the U.K., betting companies are "subject to a 15% tax on their profits, as well as being responsible for regular business taxes." Many British sports leagues and teams "enjoy a partnership with the gambling operators." Sports administrators "want their product to be clean -- and bookmakers don’t want to be duped by offering prices on fixed games." The "relationships are also profitable" (USA TODAY, 6/6).
