legal sports betting in Oregon, Montana, & Delaware?

Earlier this week, a New Jersey state Senate committee endorsed a bill to amend New Jersey's state Constitution to allow sports wagering in Atlantic City. It's about time! I've never understood why sports betting is legal exclusively in Nevada, but no where else in the U.S. (Anyone know why?)

But today I learned that since 1992, it's been legal in Oregon, Montana, & Delaware, but only for limited parlay bets. Are there any Oregon, Montana, or Delaware residents reading this Forum who can explain how this works?

I can tell you that Delaware started with NFL Parlays this year...you had to bet at least 3 teams on a weekend...you could bet up to 11 I believe. The reason Delaware was allowed to have the betting is because they had a lottery in the early 70s that used the results of NFL games to make wagers. Delaware tried to use this to legalize all sports betting, and it went back and forth in the courts. One said they could, then the professional leagues continued to fight, and the final decision was that they could only offer NFL parlays consistant with the original lottery offerings. The other states you mentioned had similar lotteries and might have wiggle room to induce betting, but they haven't tried to. The professional and collegiate leagues and associations have fought hard to stop the spread of sports betting, fearing it will influence the results on the field (think point shaving at UNLV). It's the reason there will most likely never be an NFL or MLB team in Vegas no matter how large the city becomes. NCAA has said they will not allow any tourney games or bowl games in Delaware now. The professional and collegiate organizations are pretty powerful if they ALL team up, and they do on this issue.

I don't know how it works in those states, but in Canada they have a similar rule - parlay bets only.

In the province of Ontario, you fill out selection slips (like the lotto) at grocery or convenience stores that must include at least 3 events (2 allowed for point spread). You can bet on pretty much any major games, including football, baseball, hockey, golf, soccer and college basketball. The odds are pretty bad. On the upside its very simple and tickets are paid out quickly.

At some of the casinos they have a kiosk that offers the same bets with slightly better odds. The cities the casinos are located in are lobbying the government to allow single game bets. They might succeed in a few years.

I addressed the Nova Scotia parlay bets in a recent Ask the Wizard column. The bottom line is that the odds were pretty bad.

For those of you near the southern border, there are sports books galore in mexico, perticularly in Tijuana.

My understanding in Oregon (it used to be called sports action) was discontinued in order for Portland to host the NCAA regionals last year. If I recall, it was only on NFL games, and they couldn't use the team names, only the cities when betting. I think the only "sports" type betting now is OTB for horse races or calling down to the bookie in Vegas.

http://www.oregonlottery.org/sports/

Quote: Nareed

For those of you near the southern border, there are sports books galore in mexico, perticularly in Tijuana.

Yup. There is a franchise right by the pedestrian border crossing. I think the name is Aqua Calientes.

Quote: Wizard

Yup. There is a franchise right by the pedestrian border crossing. I think the name is Aqua Calientes.

The formal name is "Hipodromo de Agua Caliente" but it's widely known just as "Caliente," meaning "Hot." They handle all the range of sports bets, NFL, NHL, NCAA, Soccer, etc. They also ahve bingo parlors. There's one just three blocks from my apartment.

Here's the website: https://bet.caliente.com.mx/ingles/index2.php

Quote: reno

I've never understood why sports betting is legal exclusively in Nevada, but no where else in the U.S. (Anyone know why?)

My understanding is that Sports Betting is the only thing that any US law prohibiting gambling specifically mentions. A 1961 Law I believe had a predecessor and is a rewrite (I could be wrong). I think some similar law was used in the old 1920's / 1930's Gangster days to try to shut down the mob. This was alluded to in the recent Dillinger movie.

So I'm not saying I know a lot about it, but for some reason Sports Betting gets put on the hot seat as opposed to other types of gambling, and states and organizations like the NCAA are sensitive to that.

Edit: The Feds feel like they can come into it when some aspect of it is interstate, which means, I believe, that you are breaking the law if you make a *sports* bet from out of state with a Vegas outfit using the telephone or a bookie.

Quote: Nareed

They also ahve bingo parlors. There's one just three blocks from my apartment.

Do the bingo parlors have electronic bingo games, where so many balls are drawn, and the player wins all patterns covered, except if one pattern is entirely covered by another? I've designed some games like that for Mexico, but never actually seen one.

Quote: Wizard

Do the bingo parlors have electronic bingo games, where so many balls are drawn, and the player wins all patterns covered, except if one pattern is entirely covered by another? I've designed some games like that for Mexico, but never actually seen one.

Sorry. I've never seen them, either.

Quote: odiousgambit

Quote: reno

I've never understood why sports betting is legal exclusively in Nevada, but no where else in the U.S. (Anyone know why?)

Edit: The Feds feel like they can come into it when some aspect of it is interstate, which means, I believe, that you are breaking the law if you make a *sports* bet from out of state with a Vegas outfit using the telephone or a bookie.

This was mentioned in the book "Casino" on which the movie was based. According to the book it is a crime if I even use a telephone to discuss any aspect of a point spread, whether a bet is placed or not.

What POs me more than the feds is the attitude of sports leagues on sports wagering. Somehow it is OK to have an NFL sponsered "fantasy" league yet to bet on the Saints when the point spread says I should will somehow ruin the game. Hey NFL, you have already made me cynical to the point I care about just the spread. This comes from allowing dog-killers to play with only a 4 game suspension yet not allowing people to even bid on ownership because of "image" they present. It comes form your players shooting themselves in bars. It comes from you telling cities to put $300MM in improvements or no more Super Bowls.

Sports Betting only increases interest.

Quote: Wizard

Do the bingo parlors have electronic bingo games....

I don't know if this answers your question or not but...

As you probably know, Foxwoods has bingo. Thier main room is regular bingo, but they also have a video room.

In the video room are machines where you purchase your stuff right at the machine, and the machine tracks your cards based on the calls from the main room. It can even be set to show you the cards that are closest to winning. However, it will NOT call bingo for you. You have to be paying attention.

Foxwoods rule is you have to call bingo before the next number is called. Note: The PA system is used in the video room too, and you hear the number before the caller plugs it into the computer, and, for verification purposes, there are monitors all over the rooms showing the next ball up, so you really do have a chance to call it before the machine shows the bingo. And they have a person in the video room with a wireless mic to relay your call.

FYI: You can't use the machines for 'quickies' (Quickies are a special game where the numbers are called rather quickly, and most people only play one card.)

Consoles in the video poker include a small counter for quickies or whatever. Also at you console is a regular slot machine - for the person that likes to gamble while they are gambling!


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Quote: AZDuffman

Sports Betting only increases interest.

I used to say that the Pro Bowl should be two weeks after the Super Bowl to allow for plenty of time for the Super Bowl to 'wear off' and still have time to start an office betting pool on the Pro Bowl.

Now I've lost interest. For all I know the Pro Bowl could already be two weeks later these days.