Crain’s Detroit Business’s Bill Shea attempts to “handicap” the Supreme Court’s decision to no longer federally ban sports betting as the decision applies to Detroit’s sports teams and owners:
PASPA is the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, better known as the Bradley Act. That’s the law the court struck down as unconstitutional on Monday. The law made just about every type of sports bet illegal except those made in licensed sports books in Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon, along with wagering at horse and dog tracks.
Monday’s decision returns the power to regulate sports wagering to the states, several of which already have legislation established in anticipation of the decision. Michigan is not one of them, but does have bills that were introduced last year.
How the court decision could affect MotorCity Casino Hotel and Greektown Casino-Hotel (to be rebranded Jack Detroit Casino-Hotel later this year) remains to be seen.
Because MotorCity is owned by Marian Ilitch, who also owns the Detroit Red Wings, and Greektown owner Dan Gilbert also owns the Cleveland Cavaliers, any sports wagering operation at those casino would be barred from allowing bets on those teams, for fear of undermining the integrity of the game.
Major League Baseball and the National Football League forbid team owners for having any stake in gambling operations of any sort. That’s why Ilitch isn’t an owner of the Detroit Tigers, which are owned by her late husband’s trust and run by her son, Chris Ilitch.
