Delaware Could Be 1st State to Open Sports Gambling After Supreme Court Ruling

Delaware is moving quickly to open sports gambling operations after the United States Supreme Court ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was unconstitutional on Monday.

"Following Monday's ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court and consultation with the Delaware Attorney General's Office, we are confident that Delaware has the legal and regulatory authority to authorize sports gaming in Delaware," the state's finance secretary Rick Geisenberger wrote in a statement. "The Delaware Lottery has had plans in place for months, and we will begin training lottery and casino staff early next week. We will continue to provide public updates as we prepare to launch full-scale sports gaming in Delaware next month."

According to the News Journal's Scott Goss, officials are aiming for the state's three casinos to start accepting wagers on sporting events starting the first week in June. 

"We're starting training next week," Geisenberger told Goss. "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."

That means Delaware could leapfrog New Jersey as the first state to embrace full-scale gaming operations since PASPA was repealed. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to sign off on new legislation June 7, per ESPN.com's David Purdum.