The odds are probably against Delaware Gov. Jack Markell's proposal to bring sports betting to the Diamond State. Even in the face of a $700 million deficit, the former Nextel executive probably doesn't have the votes in the state legislature, at least not yet.
But the fact that Delaware is even seriously contemplating sports wagering is extraordinary and only possible because of a federal law that allows such betting in four states. Delaware is grandfathered into the law because the state had a lottery game in the mid-1970s that involved picking NFL football games against the spread.
The debate demonstrates what anti-gambling groups have been pointing out for years: The biggest gambling addicts are the states themselves. Delaware's racinos may have been lucrative in the past, but competition is catching up. When Maryland voters approved slots last November (joining neighbors Pennsylvania and New Jersey), Delaware became surrounded by slots competitors.
What might sports gambling in Delaware mean for Maryland? No doubt many people will be delighted by the prospect of betting on the Ravens (although they might not be fully satisfied by Gov. Markell's proposal that doesn't allow wagering on the outcome of any single game). But it could spell trouble for Maryland's own budget-balancing efforts if it means less cash deposited in Maryland slot machines.
And it would also seem to up the legalized-gambling ante, if not today then perhaps in a few years. Should Maryland embrace table games? There are compelling arguments for them. Create more slots locations? Allow greater financial returns for operators so they might create tourist meccas on the scale of Las Vegas and Atlantic City?
This much is certain: Legalized gambling has come a long way since the first statewide lotteries of three decades ago. There's no telling how much further it will go.
