Hang in there, college football fans. It’s coming. Eventually.
In a landmark decision made by the Supreme Court of the United States in the middle of last month, a ruling which overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, it is now legal for states, if they so choose, to run and sanction sports wagering in any way they deem fit. Thursday, Delaware became the first to officially take advantage of that ruling by announcing that, on June 5, it “will launch a full-scale sports gaming operation at all three casinos in the state.”
The press release making that long-expected announcement stated that "[b]etting offered Tuesday will include single-game and championship wagering on professional baseball, football, hockey, basketball, soccer, golf, and auto racing.” At least for now, therefore, there will be no wagering on any college sports in the state, including football.
The good news, though, is that it’s expected wagering on college football will eventually be implemented in the state, perhaps even in time for the start of a 2018 season that kicks off in less than three months. In the interim, the NCAA will continue to monitor the situation, such as it has since the SCOTUS issued its ruling a little over two weeks ago.
“Today the United States Supreme Court issued a clear decision that PASPA is unconstitutional, reversing the lower courts that held otherwise,” NCAA Chief Legal Officer Donald Remy said in a May 14 statement. “While we are still reviewing the decision to understand the overall implications to college sports, we will adjust sports wagering and championship policies to align with the direction from the court.”
When Delaware goes live next week, they will join Nevada as the only states (for the time being) to offer fullscale sports wagering. New Jersey and West Virginia, among others, are expected to quickly join those ranks in the coming months.
One final note: in the here and now, only in-person wagering at any one of Delaware’s three casinos will be permitted; that too, however, is expected to change at some point in the future as legal online gambling on sports is headed this way.