Yes, the most popular forms of gambling are legal in Delaware. People in Delaware may bet on sports online or offline, bet on casinos online or offline and bet on horse racing online and offline. There is also a state lottery. Daily fantasy sports and tribal gaming are currently illegal in Delaware. In the state of Delaware, anyone who wishes to place a sports bet either online or in-store must be 21 years of age or older. While sports betting online is legal, no sportsbooks currently offer an online product so it is currently a requirement to bet in one of the three casinos. Sports betting laws in Delaware. Delaware became the first state outside of Nevada to accept single-game sports wagering when it took its first wager on June 5, 2018. Sports Book LOCATED ON THE CASINO SIDE (2ND FLOOR). ADDITIONAL SPORTS TELLERS and self-service betting terMINALS AVAILABLE ON TRACK SIDE (club 2). FOR EASY ACCESS BETWEEN BOTH LOCATIONS, PLEASE USE THE WALKWAY NEXT TO PICCIOTTI’S 10AM – 11AM DAILY.

Delaware is something of an odd choice to be at the forefront of gambling law in the United States.

It is a small, unassuming state best known for its strategic advantages in the area of incorporating a business and for its favorite son, former Vice President Joe Biden.

Nonetheless, in contrast to its reputation and its gradual foray into casino-style gambling, Delaware has jumped with both feet into the internet gambling arena. It was the only state other than Nevada and New Jersey to have legalized online gambling in any form until Pennsylvania joined the list in 2017. In fact, it was the first to do so in 2012, beating the two usual suspects.

Delaware State Park Casino Sports Betting Results

So far, the results have been underwhelming and below initial projections, though those projections were likely too optimistic. Delaware only reported $1.4 million and $1.8 million in its first two years of offering online gambling. However, revenues shot up to $3 million in 2016, so it appears things are on the upswing.

Essentially, Delaware’s internet gambling is consolidated in one single platform. Each of the three land-based casinos are licensed to offer their own branded paths to online gambling, but ultimately, it’s a unified system managed by 888 Holdings.

Within that system, Delaware’s law actually allows for a quite broad interpretation of what can be offered. The director of the Delaware Department of Gaming Enforcement has, by law, quite a bit of latitude to decide the range of offerings, and the current holder of that position has not been eager to exclude anything. So, Delaware residents enjoy a favorable set of options for online gambling.

Sweepstakes casinos in Delaware

Delaware State Park Casino Sports Betting Online

Social casino site options

Social casino options are much the same for Delawareans as in other states. All the typical apps, like Zynga, Slotomania, and Big Fish Casino offer an opportunity to play slot machines and other games without risking any money.

Unfortunately, unlike New Jersey, it does not appear that the real-money sites in Delaware feature a play money option that ties directly into the branded sites.

MyVegas is typically one of the better options for social gaming, but its effectiveness is limited by players’ proximity to its partners’ real-world locations. Delaware is not particularly close to any of the MyVegas partners.

Delaware State Park Casino Sports Betting Site

The closest would be either Borgata in New Jersey or Resorts World Bimini in the Bahamas, and neither one of those options is exceptionally convenient.

Delaware sports betting

Under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), Delaware was one of four states exempted from the federal ban on sports betting. The state is allowed to offer parlay wagering. For the past decade or so, the state lottery has offered sports betting in the form of three-team NFL parlays.

When the Supreme Court struck down PASPA in full in May of 2018, Delaware immediately set its sights on expanding DE sports betting offerings. Perhaps surprisingly, the First State lived up to its nickname by becoming the first state post-PASPA to offer sports betting.

Gov. John Carneyplaced the first bet in the state on June 5. All three of Delaware’s casinos have active sportsbooks and are available to collect wagers.

So far, Delaware casinos have collected nearly $40 million in bets and held nearly $5.2 million through the end of September 2018. For a state with fewer than 1 million inhabitants, Delaware residents seem to be getting busy with sports betting.

Online casino options

Land-based slots environment

Delaware’s move toward land-based gambling has been a gradual progression, rather than a full-bore sprint toward legalization.

Dating back to 1933, the state legislature created a racing commission, and through numerous legislative sessions, the state has slowly increased the prominence of gambling. In doing so, gambling has become the state’s fourth largest source of revenue, so the presence of gambling in the First State is likely quite stable.

Delaware has only three land-based casinos. In a vacuum, this sounds like a tentative number for a state to license, but considering that Delaware is less than 2,500 square miles in area and has less than one million total residents, three casinos is a solid presence. All three are racinos – gambling venues that contain a racetrack, which supports Delaware’s long history of horse racing.

All three casinos also contain slot machines and table games. Each has more than 2,000 slot machines for play. In a quirky twist, all slot machines in Delaware are technically video lottery terminals, meaning that their operation is overseen by the Delaware Lottery, and taxes from their operation feed into the state funds via the lottery’s contributions.

However, the slots player in Delaware will see little functional difference. They still pay out in cash, and they still offer the same relative level of payout percentage – between 87 and 95 percent by law.

Land-based slots options

Operator profile

Delaware Park Racetrack

Delaware Park is the oldest gambling facility in the state of Delaware. With the state legalization of horse racing in 1933, William DuPont Jr. (of the DuPont family) designed a one-mile dirt oval track and expansive facilities for both guests and the horses.

“DelPark” is the only location for thoroughbred horse racing in the state. Today, Delaware Park is a full-service racetrack and casino, offering thousands of slot machines, live table games like blackjack, craps, roulette, and pai gow, and both a poker room for cash play and a poker tournament room.

There is also a sports betting venue, although due to another quirk of legal restrictions, only parlays may be purchased on football games. To round out the entertainment options, DelPark is also the home of White Clay Creek Country Club, a full-service golf facility.

Delaware Park is owned by William Rickman Jr., who inherited the property from his father. Rickman Jr. was also the owner of Ocean Downs Racetrack just over the border in Maryland, but sold the property in August 2016. Indeed, there have long been rumors about potential sales of DelPark property.

The proliferation of casinos and racetracks in Pennsylvania has choked off profit pipelines and increased competitive pressure throughout the region – both in Delaware and New Jersey. Quite simply, the market is saturated in the Northeast, especially with Pennsylvania continuing to press its advantage yielded by larger population centers, particularly Philadelphia.

Still, Delaware Park is a favorite for locals, and it will continue to exist for many years to come in some format. There is too much tradition and history to think otherwise.

State legal environment

Delaware officially initiated legalized sports betting on June 5 when the state’s three casinos — Dover Downs Casino, Delaware Park Casino and Harrington Raceway and Casino — began accepting wagers.

Delaware was able to launch single-game betting without any new legislation, as it’s one of four other states besides Nevada that had a form of grandfather exemption from PASPA when it was first passed in 1992. That’s because the Delaware Sports Lottery already offered three-team or greater parlay cards in 1976, although that lasted just one season.

The parlay cards returned in 2009 and have been moderately successful since, reportedly approximately $9 million for the state in 2017.

Notably, Delaware first attempted to side-step PASPA that same year, when a struggling economy led to both the state lottery and the casinos taking a significant financial hit. Then-Governor Jack Markell spearheaded a proposal for establishments to add single-game sports betting, which passed the Senate by a 17-2 margin in May of that year.

However, the sports leagues successfully argued for an injunction, and ultimately, The Third Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately declared that the aforementioned parlay cards were the only forms of sports betting that PASPA grandfathered in with respect to Delaware.

Delaware sports betting status

Delaware offers single-game sports betting on all major sports since Tuesday, June 5. Currently, the state’s three casinos – Dover Downs Casino, Delaware Park Casino and Harrington Raceway and Casino – accept wagers. Wagering on Delaware-based teams is prohibited, however.

The Delaware Sports Lottery continues to offer the parlay card contest – Sports Pick – as well.

Delaware Sports Betting FAQ

Is sports betting legal in Delaware?

Yes, single-game sports betting technically became legal in Delaware on May 14, when the SCOTUS struck down PASPA in Murphy vs. NCAA. The first legal sports bets were then accepted by operators on Tuesday, June 5.

Betting is presently limited to the brick-and-mortar locations of the state’s three casinos. However, mobile wagering is certainly a possibility in the future.

Where can I bet on sports in Delaware?

Sports bets can presently be placed at the sportsbooks located within Dover Downs Casino, Delaware Park Casino and Harrington Raceway and Casino.

Can I bet on my mobile device?

Current laws limit sports betting to the aforementioned trio of brick-and-mortar locations. However, mobile wagering is certainly a possibility in the future.

How can I deposit and withdraw money on sports betting sites in Delaware?

There is no mobile wagering currently available in Delaware.

How old do I have to be to bet on sports in Delaware?

You must be 21 years of age to place a bet in Delaware.

Which local sports teams in Delaware can I bet on?

Bets can be placed on all professional sports teams near Delaware, including the four Philadelphia franchises — Phillies, Flyers, 76ers and Eagles. College sports will eventually be made available, but wagers are not yet being accepted.

Can I get into trouble for placing bets with unregulated online sportsbooks in Delaware?

With sports betting now legalized in the state, there is likely to be a precipitous drop in residents patronizing unregulated sportsbooks. However, as a practical matter, doing so won’t lead to any legal complications for the individual.

The risks that are involved with utilizing such entities is that there is typically zero recourse for the bettor if the operator is shut down, refuses to pay out winning wagers or engages in any otherwise questionable activity. As such, a regulated market with corresponding penalties for operators that do not adhere to established legal protocols is the optimal manner in which to engage in sports betting.