Delaware Governor Claims NFL Promotes Gambling

Delaware Governor, Jack Markell, claimed in a letter to NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, that the league already promotes gambling via television networks whose commentators refer to point spreads and make predictions.

Representatives of the NFL and National Collegiate Athletic Association visited Dover, Delaware last week to lobby against Markell's sports gambling proposal for the state. 

Markell's proposal would re-authorize sports betting, allow up to three new casinos could be built in Delaware and increase the state's share of gambling revenue by 8 percent.

Patti Key, CEO of Harrington Raceway, told the News Journal her racino and Delaware Park each organized busloads of people to attend the meeting and speak against the proposal.

Many in the crowd carried signs, uniform in appearance and made in bulk by the racino. Key confirmed that Harrington Raceway had purchased the signs and distributed them to people they bused to the hearing.