New Jersey has been battling to get sports betting for years, but it appears Delaware has beaten the state to the window.
On Thursday afternoon, Delaware Gov. John Carney announced the state will begin taking sports betting next Tuesday, June 5, at three locations in the state.
In doing so, Delaware will become the second state (after Nevada) to have sports betting and the first since the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act on May 14.
The New Jersey Senate and General Assembly are expected to hold votes on new legislation on Thursday, June 7, to determine how the state will regulate and tax sports betting at casinos and race tracks.
Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) has said the state was moving quickly and that he expected Gov. Phil Murphy to sign the legislation right away.
Delaware, however, moved faster — and will benefit from the media attention it will attract.
“Delaware has all necessary legal and regulatory authority to move forward with a full-scale sports gaming operation, and we look forward to next week’s launch,” Carney said in a news release. “We’re hopeful that this will bring even more visitors into Delaware to see firsthand what our state has to offer.”
According to the release, sports betting will be allowed at three locations: Delaware Park, Dover Downs Hotel & Casino and Harrington Raceway & Casino.
Gamblers will be able to bet on Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League, as well as soccer, golf and auto racing. Gambling on football will be allowed when the National Football League season starts up again. It was not immediately clear if the state will accept bets on college sports.
