…and, of course, the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and NCAA are fighting it.

Delaware politicians are ready to battle their new multi-headed opponent on the issue of legalized sports gambling, but it appears a compromise could be made with the sports leagues if the state promises to stick with a parlay betting system.

The NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and NCAA filed a joint lawsuit last week in an attempt to prevent Delaware’s motion to legally open sports betting within the state.

Delaware is one of four states that are exempt from aspects of this law. The state’s previous foray into sports betting was a disaster in the 1970s because of poor line setting.

The leagues argue that when wagering is allowed, every blown call, missed shot, etc. is seen as something more nefarious. The problem with this argument is that single-game wagering is already legal in Nevada (and happens illegally all over the country and online), so keeping Delaware from allowing this kind of wagering isn’t going to do much to help the perception that the games could be fixed.

Besides, doesn’t NBA commissioner David Stern remember Tim Donaghy? He can’t even keep his officials from gambling, yet he wants to police the entire country.

Like alcohol or smoking, wagering on games is a vice. Some people have it under control and see it purely as entertainment, while others have a problem. Whether or not Delaware makes it legal will have very little bearing; people are already wagering on games, they’re just doing it illegally.

With March Madness set to tip off, we thought it would be nice to pick the brain of someone who knows a little about the sports gambling world to see if we could get any tips for betting the games (legally of course).

Al DeMarco is the General Manager of SportsGamingEdge.com and is the featured handicapping analyst on SportsNet New York’s Daily News Live. He’s also a regular contributor on FoxSports.com and MSNBC.com. We recently caught up with Al to talk a little about his site and the tourney, including which team he likes as a dark horse this year.

The Scores Report: Thanks for giving us the opportunity to pick your brain, Al. Can you talk a little about Sports Gaming Edge – how you got started, what your goals are and what people who haven’t been to your site can expect to find when they visit it for the first time?

Read the rest of this entry »

Far be it for me to tell someone how to live their life. But as I sat on my couch watching Week 6 unfold in the NFL, one question kept popping up in my head: Why would anyone gamble on pro football?

For the record, this isn’t about bashing gamblers because, to be brutally honest, I am one. In fact, anyone that shells out a little coin in office pools or even fantasy football is a gambler to some degree. So as it stands, I’m referring to myself when I write this.

This article is about shinning even more light on how unpredictable the NFL is, and how quickly a football game can turn on its head. It has to be easier to predict winning lotto numbers than it is to predict which teams will cover the spread on a consistent basis.

Below are just three examples from Week 6 of how snake-bitten you can be as a gambler of the NFL. And remember, I’m using just three examples from one week of the season. Think about how many times a gambler could get screwed over the course of an entire NFL season and it’s enough to lose your lunch.

Janet Jones, wife of Wayne Gretzy, has been implicated in a gambling ring financed by former Philadelphia Flyers star and current Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet.

Along with Jones, the Kings’ Jeremy Roenick and at least one Hollywood star were said to have placed wagers with the operation.

I have fond memories of being twelve years old and watching Janet Jones in the 1986 gymnastics movie/Mitch Gaylord vehicle, “American Anthem.” The girl could really fill out a unitard.