Rep. William A. Oberle, R-Newark, who sponsored the legislation legalizing slot machines in Delaware, said state government needs to allow casinos the freedoms other businesses enjoy.
That means letting casinos set their own hours, he said.
Rep. Oberle also would like to see sports betting legalized in Delaware, the only state in the eastern two-thirds of the country that has the ability to allow such gambling. A federal law banned sports betting in most states, but Delaware is exempt because the state briefly had a sports lottery game in the 1970s.
"Can you imagine what Dover Downs, Delaware Park and Harrington would be like on Super Bowl Sunday or the week leading up to the Super Bowl?" Rep. Oberle asked.
"They already fill up all the hotel rooms in Harrington now. It would have a tremendous economic impact. It would create jobs."
Before Rep. Oberle introduces legislation to legalize sports betting or allow casinos to operate 24 hours a day, he wants to get Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and her administration on board.
The governor has steadfastly opposed bringing new forms of legal gambling to Delaware or building more casinos.
"Expanding gaming or increasing the number of sites just splits the pie," said Thomas J. Cook, chief of policy and operations for the state Department of Finance.
"It does not ensure more revenue. That is not the way for us to combat this."
Mr. McGlynn said decisions on sports betting and other meaty gaming questions may not come until a Maryland slots bill becomes law.
"We are interested in anything that will give us a competitive advantage," he said.
"The next question is if the state is interested in giving us a competitive advantage. I don't think that there is a whole lot of interest on the state level while competition is still a prospect and not a reality."
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Post comments on this issue at newsblog.info/0407.
Staff writer Joe Rogalsky Newzap.com (Deleware).
That means letting casinos set their own hours, he said.
Rep. Oberle also would like to see sports betting legalized in Delaware, the only state in the eastern two-thirds of the country that has the ability to allow such gambling. A federal law banned sports betting in most states, but Delaware is exempt because the state briefly had a sports lottery game in the 1970s.
"Can you imagine what Dover Downs, Delaware Park and Harrington would be like on Super Bowl Sunday or the week leading up to the Super Bowl?" Rep. Oberle asked.
"They already fill up all the hotel rooms in Harrington now. It would have a tremendous economic impact. It would create jobs."
Before Rep. Oberle introduces legislation to legalize sports betting or allow casinos to operate 24 hours a day, he wants to get Gov. Ruth Ann Minner and her administration on board.
The governor has steadfastly opposed bringing new forms of legal gambling to Delaware or building more casinos.
"Expanding gaming or increasing the number of sites just splits the pie," said Thomas J. Cook, chief of policy and operations for the state Department of Finance.
"It does not ensure more revenue. That is not the way for us to combat this."
Mr. McGlynn said decisions on sports betting and other meaty gaming questions may not come until a Maryland slots bill becomes law.
"We are interested in anything that will give us a competitive advantage," he said.
"The next question is if the state is interested in giving us a competitive advantage. I don't think that there is a whole lot of interest on the state level while competition is still a prospect and not a reality."
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Post comments on this issue at newsblog.info/0407.
Staff writer Joe Rogalsky Newzap.com (Deleware).