Chris Christie may have to eat his words about New Jersey being the first state to capitalize on the Supreme Court‘s sports-betting ruling. According to NJ Advance Media, “Delaware officials said this week they 
believe they have the laws and infrastructure in place that allow them to be the first state outside of Nevada to offer Las Vegas-style betting on football, basketball, baseball, and more.” While Monmouth Park in the Garden State had been hoping for a Memorial Day launch, that’s been pushed back, and Delaware officials think they can be taking wagers by the first week of June. “We’re starting training next week. Our hope is to get that complete next week and then it’s a question of testing software. But this will be a conversation with the casinos and we’ll start when we’re ready and they’re ready,” said Delaware Secretary of Finance Rick Geisenberger.
The delay at Monmouth Park is attributed to the need to fine-tune regulations governing sports betting. Wrote state Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D), “New Jersey will continue to be the leader on sports betting but we want to ensure its long-term success with the right rules and procedures in place.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell responded with some trash-talking, in the form of calling for overriding federal regulations, implying that the states couldn’t be trusted to do the job right. Goodell left some wiggle room for Nevada, saying that his precepts were for “states that choose to legalize sports betting.” (emphasis added)
Delaware will allow no intrastate betting and the placing of wagers will only happen at the state’s three racinos. At some point bars and convenience stores may receive permission, too, as happened with NFL 
parlay betting. Delaware will phase in wagers, starting with point-spread bets, expanding to proposition bets and over/unders. Dover Downs CEO Denis McGlyn was his usual downbeat self about the whole thing, saying, “There is general buzz out in the world right now because of the Supreme Court decision but people have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads.” That would include Dover Downs’ shareholders, who saw their stock catapult 17% once sports betting was allowed.
Former New Jersey state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-ret.) pouted over the whole thing, saying, “It’s somewhat annoying they could beat us to be the first when we deserve it,” for having spent $9 million and considerable time to take the fight all the way to the Supreme Court. “We’re missing a big opportunity to have 30,000 people at Monmouth Park, with national media attention for the first bet.” “I really do believe we have to have some rules,” responded Sweeney, who said, “I see what Delaware’s doing. But they’re not going Memorial Day weekend either.” May the best-regulated state win.
Elsewhere in the Garden State, Hard Rock Atlantic City is flouting conventional wisdom by opening without poker. This will give Ocean Resort a selling point against its higher-profile competitor. Poker hasn’t been offered on the Hard Rock premises since Trump Taj Mahal shuttered its room three years ago. Hard Rock is banking heavily on entertainment for its debut, with Carrie Underwood and Pitbull taking the big stage (on separate nights) opening weekend.
* Need a job? MGM Springfield is still hiring. The casino even held a Facebook forum, in an effort to lure employable Bay State residents, with an emphasis on denizens of Springfield. “We have incredible 
community-based partners, faith-based organizations, the community colleges we have worked with for years, so I am really not concerned” about meeting the need, said Vice President of Human Resources Marikate Murren (relative of Jim?). Relaxation of criminal-record exclusions has made it easier to fill the roster, said Murren, adding, ” It really is a case of opening up the pipeline and giving people an opportunity to apply. We did not want people to self-exclude because of perhaps a youthful indiscretion.” (Background checks are being conducted by MGM, not the state.)
Elsewhere in the MGM empire, the Baltimore Post-Examiner argues that (rolling in dough) Maryland had better offer Internet gambling and sports wagering or risk falling behind its neighbors.
* It looks like there’s a new power player in the Pacific Rim. Melco Resorts & Entertainment‘s Manila landlord, Premium Leisure, says it has entered “preliminary discussions” with Lawrence Ho to 
buy a share of Melco’s Philippine subsidiary. Premium parent Belle Corp. is keen for Ho to expand City of Dreams Manila by adding a hotel or so and other non-gaming amenities. Since the family behind Belle Corp. is the wealthiest in the Philippines, a stock sale should leave Ho rolling in enough dough to finance that expansion. Meanwhile, if you’re not doing anything June 15, consider splurging on one of the 800 hotel rooms in Morpheus, the new tower at City of Dreams Macau, set to open on schedule — always the cause for an “attaboy” in the gaming industry.
