Governor Markell asks for a hearing in front of the full twelve-member US Third District Court Of Appeals.
Tuesday 29th September 2009
In America, the state of Delaware has filed a petition with the US Third Circuit Court Of Appeals in Philadelphia asking the body to rehear its arguments in favour of allowing single-game sportsbetting.
In July, Delaware passed legislation that legalised sportsbetting including that on single events and Governor Jack Markell subsequently signed the measure into law.
However, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) joined with every major professional sports league in America including the National Football League (NFL) soon after to seek an injunction against the small eastern state on the grounds that such a scheme would lead to increased risks of match-fixing.
Owing to a brief experiment with parlay sportsbetting in 1976, Delaware is one of four states along with Oregon, Montana and Nevada that were thought to be exempt from the Professional And Amateur Sports Protection Act. Backing up this belief, Chief District Judge Gregory Sleet at first denied the injunction before a three-judge ruling from the higher Court Of Appeals reversed this decision late last month.
Now the state wants the full twelve-judge body to rehear its arguments, known as an ‘en banc’ hearing, and the Court can either deny the appeal outright or ask the sports leagues to file a brief on the matter before deciding whether to grant another hearing. The Court sets its own timetable but any significant delay could prompt Delaware to seek a hearing in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC.
“The State Of Delaware should have its day in court,' said Governor Markell.
“We hope we get that opportunity. We believe there are important legal and factual questions that should be heard by the entire Court.”
