According to published reports, legislation to allow sports betting in Delaware has been ruled illegal by a federal appeals court, which said the law would be in violation of a federal prohibition against sports gambling. The case was heard by a three-judge panel in Philadelphia Monday. The legislation was opposed by all the major sports leagues–including the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL–as well as the NCAA. In May, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell signed into law a measure to legalize sports betting in the state. Delaware had previously been exempted from the federal ban on sports gambling because, in 1976, the state had run a sports lottery for one football season. Congress passed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 1992, which banned states from accepting bets on sports.
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