Though I’m sure plenty will disagree with the above analysis, I’ll take the upward Super Bowl trend for Nevada sports books as a win.

Meanwhile, semi-related but not really, Delaware is looking into how the new DOJ Wire Act interpretation (heralded by online poker types) could actually help the state offer more-better sports betting options to the masses via the internet.

But arguably the biggest and most immediate threats they’re facing are from neighboring states that have expanded gambling — with new tables, poker and otherwise, rapidly opening. Though it’s just a single anecdote and hardly statistical evidence of anything, I got this text message from a Pokerati player about new games in his home state of Delaware:

I’m back in DE. Playing @ DE Park right now. Casinos 15 mins from my house. 20 tables, separate tourney room, pretty nice. haven’t gone to AC since I’ve been here.

Yikes, if not indicative of likely continued economic woes for New Jersey, it seems to at least suggest something about the redistribution of gambling wealth currently going on in the Northeast corner of the United States.

In other casino industry news:

Harrah’s is offering the state of Iowa $70 million to scrap greyhound racing.

And MGM/Mirage is looking to sell its 50 percent stake in the Borgata in an effort to avoid regulatory trouble over their association with Pansy Ho in China. Apparently they see more value in Macau than Atlantic City.

The Rivers Casino in Pennsylvania got fined for allowing underage players on their slot machines.

And a new study out of Australia found that handling a baby crocodile makes you more likely to chase straights and flushes.

Meanwhile the state of Iowa thinks poker is booming, and though they already have legal poker there, they think it would be neato to have really big tournaments. And thus there is a new bill pending — and being pushed by the House Majority Leader — that would make room for more tables to accommodate big special poker events.

Their numbers and expectations however, may be a bit off:

“We have the people already playing poker in Iowa. We have a zillion poker players. Apparently, they’re just going someplace else to do it,” Hudson said.

We have two major news stories in online gambling. The first is that former BetOnSports CEO David Carruthers has withdrawn his guilty plea in Missouri. And the second is the closing of Pitbull Poker, with rumors of criminal activity and arrests in Costa Rica. Those stories and other industry news.

UPDATE: A Dallas Cowboys scratch-off also went on sale last week.

In Massachusetts, Patriots lottery tickets are selling at a record pace, and have already awarded their first two million-dollar prizes. Wanna be a little disgusted by one of the poker industry’s biggest political opponents … check out the familiar pitch the NFL itself is using in promoting their rake game:

New England Patriots, the newest $5 instant game, is a partnership between the perennial NFL powerhouse and the Massachusetts State Lottery. Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill and Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group, announced the historic partnership last week at Gillette Stadium.

“Our winning partnership with the Patriots will enable us to raise millions for taxpayers while strengthening the Lottery’s portfolio and market presence,” said Treasurer Cahill, chairman of the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission. “This is a perfect example of doing well by doing good.”

[...]

Derrick Gorman, a Plymouth factory plant manager, had the choice between moving his wife and four kids to Illinois with his company or going on unemployment. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he scratched his $1 million ticket after putting his kids to bed on Tuesday night.

“I really didn’t want to relocate the family to Illinois. My wallet told me to go, but my gut told me to stay,” Gorman said. “I just got off the phone with my boss and told him that we wouldn’t be going. We own our house and I’ve lived here all my life. This is a huge relief for my family. This is once in a lifetime.”

The New England Patriots instant ticket is expected to generate more than $151 million in sales, reward players with more than $116 million in prizes and raise $22 million in local aid.

That’s right football fans … if you’re at your bottom dollar, make sure you spend it on NFL lottery tickets! The more you buy, the more chances you have to win!

How’s this playing in the sports media:

I’ll go ahead and argue this is all good, actually, because the more gambling the better! because it weakens the NFL’s political arms’ position in Washington DC. And don’t totally hate on the NFL quite yet those goddamn motherfuckin hypocritical buzz-killing asshole moralist greedmongers … the Menedez senate bill suggests they might be willing to soften their anti-poker stance (so long as we keep sports betting out of it) … and they theoretically can support the idea of raising tax revenues via card games for a good cause.

Meanwhile, the NFL — partnered with the NBA, NHL, and MLB (but not MLS!) — is headed to a federal appeals court this week, seeking an injunction to stop sports betting in Delaware from kicking off on September 1st, until the matter receives a full hearing in December … you know, the same time the UIGEA is supposed to really go into effect, stopping online poker play while allowing people to buy lottery tickets and bet on fantasy sports online.

We cover industry news from France to the United States, as professional sports leagues & governments have a dramatic affect on gambling. The NFL joining with others to sue the state of Delaware? Plus, an announcement about Bodog.

The NFL, unsurprisingly, filed a brief with the Delaware Supreme Court against the bill. Their reasoning for blocking the bill is surprising; because they state that sports betting is a game of skill, while Delaware state law states that only games of chance are allowed. Could they be unknowingly opening the door to allow all sorts of gambling on games of skill, such as poker?

(And no wonder Doyle Brunson loves it in Montana.)

E:60 Delaware Betting Preview

And this job ad, for a new position in London … Investigator – Poker Specialist. I don’t have much to say about the specific position (London usually means PartyPoker, but not always) … except that I’ve never seen such a title before. New.

Key Responsibilities:

• Fraud prevention, detection and investigation
• Understanding of international online payment methods
• Knowledge of Money Laundering detection and regulation
• Knowledge of foreign language/customs
• Experience of reading Poker hands in relation to chip dumping cases.

(Thanks, Leigh, for the link!)

It’s an issue that is near-and-dear to my heart, because if you can’t play topless poker, really, are we still living in America!?!

Still, one anonymous Middleton gambler said, “They’re (the police) just angry because no taxes were collected. Nobody was harmed by Laurie’s boobs, and some of us were the better for it.”

Yeah! Though maybe Laurie shouldn’t have been accepting credit cards?